It is a very rare feat that a player is traded in the middle of a 100-point season. One has to look as far back as Joe Thornton’s blockbuster move from the Boston Bruins to the San Jose Sharks in 2005,

The Hurricanes, with Mikko Rantanen playing on the top line with Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis, edged the Boston Bruins on Thursday, Jarvis scoring the winning goal with 18.6 seconds left.

Rantanen has played in 61 games this season, posting 70 points (27 goals, 43 assists) with the Avalanche and Hurricane.

Ron Maclean: “You also, with Kyle, had a great conversation about Mikko Rantanen, and it was a little bit about the Cup possibility for Carolina. If they think it’s real, do they keep them and then lose them to free agency anyway? You go on, where are we at?

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported on Thursday that talks were intensifying between the Carolina Hurricanes and Dallas Stars on a trade for the scoring winger. Rantanen was traded to the Hurricanes from the Colorado Avalanche in January, but Carolina had been unable to sign the pending free agent to a long-term extension.

The Carolina Hurricanes were at the center of the trade deadline for a lot of the wrong reasons. The drama surrounding Mikko Rantanen generated plenty of headlines, but the team is starting to peak in spite of that turbulence.

After the Carolina Hurricanes dealt him to the Dallas Stars at the trade deadline, right wing Mikko Rantanen is happy with his new home. Rantanen is looking to play for a team that he can be a part of for a long time.

The Toronto Maple Leafs were reportedly one of four teams that Mikko Rantanen was willing to be traded and sign with, via David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period.