In today’s NHL rumors rundown, it appears that Mikko Rantanen has received a pretty hefty contract offer, but is unsure about whether or not he wants to accept it with the Carolina Hurricanes. Elsewhere, Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Seth Jones is in some trade rumors and stated that he would be willing to return to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Finally, injury updates on both Brady and Matthew Tkachuk have been given, and one of their situations seems to be less than ideal.
Rantanen Given Massive Contract Offer
Both Darren Dreger and Elliotte Friedman have reported that the Hurricanes have given Rantanen a massive contract offer, suggesting it is north of $100 million. If that is the case, that would infer that the Hurricanes have an eight-year deal worth an average annual value of $12.5 million or more.
The belief was always that Rantanen would get that much. Part of the reason that he did not re-sign with the Colorado Avalanche was because of the internal $12.6 million cap, held by Nathan MacKinnon. Reports say that Rantanen didn’t reject the offer, but Friedman said that he just isn’t sure yet. There is still two weeks until the trade deadline, and a decision can still be made in that time.
On the 32 Thoughts podcast, Friedman also noted that a team acquiring Rantanen, should the Hurricanes opt to move him again, could have him at a cap hit of $2.3 million if the Hurricanes are willing to retain another 50 percent of his salary. With a cap hit like that, any team in the league has the capability of making space for that contract.
Could Seth Jones Return to Columbus?
Over the past few weeks, there have been a number of reports suggesting the Blackhawks could move Jones, and his preference is that it would be to a contender. As the salary cap is set to take a significant jump, teams could be more willing to take on a bigger chunk of his $9.5 million cap hit, and contract aside, there is no doubt that Jones is an impactful defenseman many teams would like to have.
Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers spoke with Jones and asked about the option of a reunion with the Blue Jackets.
“Yeah, for sure,” Jones said. “It was very special when I played with Zach [Werenski] as partners for the most part of 5 1/2 years. We had a chemistry as soon as we started playing together right when we came out of college.”
Seth Jones speaking to Mark Scheig about a possible return to the Blue Jackets
Scheig also asked Zach Werenski about the idea of Jones coming back, and got a similar response. “…I haven’t yet (tried convincing him to come back.) But I’d be open to it. I love playing with him and as a friend most importantly, we’re close. I hope whatever he’s dealing with works so it works itself out. He’s a hell of a player and I wish him all the best.”.
So this certainly doesn’t cement anything, but is seems some of the parties involved are all for having Jones go back to Columbus.
Injury Updates on Brady & Matthew Tkachuk
Of course, the “Bash Brothers” had quite a physical showing at the 4 Nation Face-Off, and both dealt with injuries throughout.
Starting with the better news, Brady Tkachuk is listed as day-to-day. During the game against Sweden, he slid into the net and left with an injury. He did return but left again later in the game. He played during the championship game and was dominant, but he did not play in the Ottawa Senators’ return to action on Feb. 22 against the Montreal Canadiens. Friedman reported that the team isn’t concerned about anything long-term, and listed him as day-to-day.
The not-so-good news is with Matthew Tkachuk. With limited ice time, and not playing in the third period or overtime, it was clear he was dealing with something more significant. After the game, he was seen limping out of the arena according to The Athletic’s Michael Russo. The Florida Panthers haven’t announced anything yet, but TVA’s Renaud Lavoie reported that there is some concern about it being a season-ending injury. He didn’t say for sure, but there are some more medical tests and evaluations being done.
