The Carolina Hurricanes shocked the hockey world when they acquired Mikko Rantanen from the Colorado Avalanche. They also acquired Taylor Hall from the Chicago Blackhawks in the three-team deal.
Eric Tulsky inherited a team that was good but never got over the playoff hump. Now, he decided to swing for the fences and acquired one of the most elite forwards in the league. He had to give up Martin Necas, Jack Drury, and a second- and fourth-rounder, but it’s a worthwhile price to bring in a prime talent.
What can the Calgary Flames management learn from this massive deal that shocked the hockey world?
Sell players when they are at their peak value
Martin Necas was involved in trade talks this past summer. He reportedly rejected trades to the Winnipeg Jets and Buffalo Sabres. After a disappointing 2023–24 season where he had 53 points in 77 games, he has stunned with 55 points in 49 games to begin the 2024–25 season. Maybe Necas is a point-per-game or above player. Maybe this season is a flash in the pan. Either way, the Hurricanes are trading him at his highest value in his career so far.
Not to overdo it on the same point, but an obvious example of this is Rasmus Andersson’s start to the 2024–25 season. He was incredible for the first 20 games or so. Ever since, he has struggled. There’s still lots of time to move him before his contract is up. But that peak value might not be there.
Asset management is key to sustaining long-term success
When you get the inkling that a player doesn’t want to re-sign or can’t agree to contract numbers—you have to move on from them. The Avalanche couldn’t agree to a deal with Rantanen, who is reportedly looking for $14M on the open market.
The Avalanche promoting asset management on a player who is as good as Rantanen is telling. The league is so close, and you can’t afford to lose a player like that for nothing. The Flames were in that exact spot a few seasons ago with the late Johnny Gaudreau. It sucks.
Necas and Drury are certainly a step back from Rantanen, but both are signed into next season already. That gives the Avalanche certainty on both the player and the cap heading into next season. And with MacKinnon and Makar, they will always be a threat. The Avalanche felt very top-heavy before this deal, so not committing north of $12M to Rantanen will allow them to supplement the team better.
Let players play games before you extend them to big deals
When the Hurricanes acquired Rantanen, they did not extend him right away. Tulsky says that is the plan, but he wants both sides to become accustomed to each other first.
Sometimes a player struggles when they leave from one market to the next. That’s always the risk with free agency and why so many bad deals are signed on July 1. But it’s also a risk when you acquire players too.
The Tkachuk trade netted the Flames Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar. Both were extended to eight-year contracts before they suited up for a game. The Weegar contract was worked out and he continues to be a premier defenceman. Huberdeau on the other hand, hasn’t been anywhere close to the 115-point player he was in his last year with Florida.
Before you make a long-term commitment of that magnitude I think it’s important to test the waters first. You certainly increase your risk of said player heading to free agency. But you also ensure things are proper.
Other front offices are getting smarter
I’m a massive fan of Eric Tulsky and had been campaigning for the Flames to hire him as GM since 2020. He followed a different (and much more successful) path to become an NHL GM. He is on a different threshold compared to his colleagues. And it will continue to show.
Starting at the top, there are smart organizations and others aren’t so much. We are really beginning to see the difference in organizations in the last couple of years. And that will only continue to grow.
One point I’ll make—Calgary thought Craig Conroy was a new-aged GM when they hired him. He was the youngest of the bunch they interviewed, along with Brad Pascall. Dave Nonis, Marc Bergevin, Stan Bowman, and Mark Hunter made up the rest of their final candidates. So while Conroy is a step up from some on that list of final candidates, he’s now the defunct new-age GM that other teams are employing.
Adapt or perish
The Flames can’t afford to be among the teams that just stick with the status quo when other teams are looking for every competitive edge. Even with the salary cap expected to go up, there are teams out there that will push the limits of team optimization in every possible way.
The Flames can learn a lot by watching what other teams in the NHL do, and this Rantanen/Necas trade is a prime example filled with many lessons.
