The Carolina Hurricanes have acquired veterans Taylor Hall and Mikko Rantanen in a three-team trade with the Chicago Blackhawks and Colorado Avalanche. The Hurricanes have sent Martin Necas and Jack Drury to the Avalanche in the deal, while the Blackhawks will receive a third-round pick for Hall and retain 50% of Rantanen’s salary. The Hurricanes will also send a second-round pick in the 2025 Draft and a fourth-rounder in the 2026 Draft to the Avalanche.
As part of this deal, Rantanen was traded to the Blackhawks for prospect Nils Juntorp before being sent to Carolina.
THIS IS A BIG DEAL‼️
— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) January 25, 2025
Details » https://t.co/CI5CL23V8M pic.twitter.com/9WRKWRt2Aw
Speculation about the trade swirled around the United Center when the Blackhawks announced Hall was a healthy scratch before their game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The 33-year-old Hall is in the final season of a four-year, $24 million contract ($6 million average annual value) he signed with the Boston Bruins on July 23, 2021.
The 28-year-old Rantanen is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of 2024-25. He is coming off of back-to-back 100-plus-point seasons. He ranked second on the Avalanche in points behind Nathan Mackinnon, with 64 in 49 games. He is on pace to finish over a point per game for the seventh time in the past eight seasons.
Necas has been having a career year thus far, with 16 goals and 39 assists for 55 points in 49 games.
Drury, the Hurricanes’ second-round pick in 2018, has nine points in 39 games.
The Blackhawks acquired Hall and now-captain Nick Foligno from the Bruins on June 26, 2023, to be a mentor and potential linemate for Connor Bedard, Chicago’s No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. Hall missed most of last season after having surgery on his right knee in Nov. 2023 and has played up and down the forward lines this season.
Rantanen can form a dynamic duo in Carolina with fellow countryman Sebastian Aho. The two have played together for the Finnish national team on multiple occasions. The Canes entered Friday second in the Metropolitan Division and Eastern Conference in points.
