The Colorado Avalanche traded star forward Mikko Rantanen in a three team blockbuster deal tonight, that apparently had some influence from Oilers star Leon Draisaitl.

Will he re-sign in Carolina after this season -- and if not, where else? And what will other contenders do to keep pace ahead of the March 7 deadline?

It hasn't taken long for Carolina Hurricanes fans to warm up to one of their team's newest acquisitions, superstar winger Mikko Rantanen. Having landed the 28-year-old in a blockbuster trade with the Colorado Avalanche,

The Avalanche began the process of moving on with its first win since the deal Sunday afternoon against the Rangers. Drury scored a goal. Necas was dynamic, collecting two assists and hitting both the crossbar and post with shots while playing in Rantanen’s old spot next to MacKinnon.

Mikko Rantanen says he was willing to take a discount to stay with the Avalanche before the Hurricanes trade happened.

Rantanen said he thought talks with the Avs had been productive before the shocking trade to the Canes: "I didn’t know we were in a rush."

According to NHL insider Andy Strickland, the Edmonton Oilers are among the favourites to sign star forward Mikko Rantanen if he leaves the Carolina Hurricanes in free agency.

Carolina can re-sign Rantanen and maintain a formidable supporting cast around him, which might have been tough for Colorado.

Here are three blockbuster Avalanche trade targets in the wake of the stunning Mikko Rantanen trade with the Hurricanes.

Chris MacFarland pointed to Rantanen’s pending free agency and the club’s desire to get deeper after three years of being short in that department as reasons for the trade. The NHL’s salary cap ceiling, which is set at $88 million this year but is expected to rise — possibly significantly — in the next couple of seasons is also a factor.

Choice One: What was Colorado’s limit for Mikko Rantanen? Leon Draisaitl’s $14-million AAV extension and the soon-to-be-rising cap altered the negotiations. (Rantanen is also represented by ...

The Carolina Hurricanes’ acquisition of Mikko Rantanen in Friday’s blockbuster ... high-profile players such as Edmonton Oilers' Leon Draisaitl. "I would also caution that the Oilers ...