Mikko Rantanen is rumoured to be on the move again ahead of the trade deadline. Rantanen was traded from the Colorado Avalanche to the Carolina Hurricanes just over a month ago. However, there is speculation about his future as a Cane. Do the Flames have a chance of landing the 28-year-old or should they avoid a possible misstep in their rebuild?
The Calgary Flames are almost always “in the mix” when a highly touted player becomes available. They were in the mix for Mark Stone, Jack Eichel and Taylor Hall. It kind of became expected for the Flames to swing and miss when it came to trading for an elite player. This time it feels a little less underwhelming.
The Flames are in a very different position than they were in years past. Craig Conroy is in his second year as the Flames general manager. He has made it clear that the Flames are in a true transitional phase—they are looking to get younger and better. Conroy wants elite talent and knows he is going to have to acquire through trades as well as the draft.
Mikko Rantanen’s resume
Rantanen is a Stanley Cup champion who has had two 100+ point seasons. He has had five 30+ goal seasons. While he is a right winger, he has consistently been over 50% on the face-off dot for the majority of his career.
That sounds exactly what the Flames need.
After being “blindsided” by the trade from Colorado to Carolina, things have not been easy for him. He missed a few games due to a lower-body injury and just hasn’t found his offensive stride.
Is this an opportunity for Calgary to bring in elite talent?
In theory, acquiring Rantanen sounds great. Why wouldn’t you want to add an upper-echelon player to your roster? He could be the offensive boost the Flames need for this potential unexpected playoff run.
Let’s pump the brakes.
Adding an elite 28-year-old forward certainly sounds familiar. Jonathan Huberdeau was also coming off of a 100+ point season when he was traded to the Flames. The taste of the Stanley Cup was practically on Calgary’s lips. Instead, Huberdeau recorded the largest point drop-off in NHL history.
There’s no way to predict Rantanen’s performance, but he is off to a very slow start in Carolina. He has scored just one goal in eight games, which does raise a bit of a red flag.
The Flames aren’t in a position to be giving up assets for rentals. They are in the middle of a rebuild. If they were a bit further along in the rebuild, then yes maybe it would make some sense.
History cannot repeat itself
The Flames are trying to move on a decade of “quick fixes.” At some point you have to admit that the team is too far gone for a retool on the fly. The Flames are actually years removed from that. You have to be strategic with your moves and not just look at the now.
Craig Conroy has hit the nail on the head with that. He came into the role having to trade away six pending unrestricted free agents. He did that and got a haul for them. Stacking your draft capital is a crucial step in your rebuild. The Flames have to hold onto their first-round picks. It doesn’t make much sense to lose one for a two-month rental that may or may not re-sign come summer.
Calgary should not trade for Rantanen
The Flames cannot put the cart before the horse. They cannot try to rush their way through this. Their problems didn’t arise in a single offseason and they certainly aren’t going to be solved in one or two. It’s okay for the Flames to sit this one out and pass on Rantanen.
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