Colorado Avalanche captain Nathan MacKinnon spoke candidly about his feelings following the blockbuster trade that sent his longtime teammate Mikko Rantanen away from the only franchise he'd ever played for. "It's unfortunate," MacKinnon said, per DNVR Avalanche. “Losing a great friend, great teammate. I’m gonna miss him.

Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon couldn't hide his frustration when addressing the huge three-team trade involving historic teammate Mikko Rantanen.

The Avalanche made one of the biggest trades in Colorado sports history last week when it sent away star forward Mikko Rantanen to the Hurricanes in a deal that included the Blackhawks. In return, the Avs received forwards Martin Necas and Jack Drury, plus a pair of draft picks (2025 second-rounder and 2026 fourth-rounder).

After the shocking blockbuster deal that shipped Mikko Rantanen out of Colorado, he broke silence on his view.

The word “blockbuster” gets thrown around a little too often in today’s NHL, often for trades unworthy of the term, in the same way that anything might feel like a five-star meal to a starving man. But the deal that dropped on Friday night? That one deserves the title, no questions asked.

The trade of star winger Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes brings sadness and shock to Avalanche locker room

Following a 3-1 loss to the Boston Bruins on Saturday, the first game without Rantanen, Avs superstar Nathan MacKinnon sat down in the locker room with reporters and reminisced on his old friend and former teammate.

Will he re-sign in Carolina after this season -- and if not, where else? And what will other contenders do to keep pace ahead of the March 7 deadline?

The Avalanche shocked the hockey world by trading Mikko Rantanen. But don't fret, Avs fans -- Colorado still has superstars other teams would move heaven and earth to acquire.

Nathan MacKinnon shares his thoughts on the recent trade that sent Mikko Rantanen from the Colorado Avalanche to the Carolina Hurricanes.

Where does the NHL's biggest in-season trade in decades leave the Canes, Avs and Blackhawks ... and the Canucks and Rangers? Let's dig in.