The Colorado Avalanche were involved in one of the NHL's biggest recent blockbusters on Friday night when they sent star forward Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes as part of a three-team trade that brought them forwards Martin Necas and Jack Drury.

Rantanen has been an essential member of the Avalanche's core since arriving in 2015-16, having won the Stanley Cup in 2021-22. Widely regarded as one of the NHL's premier offensive talents, he stands among the league's top five scorers over the last five seasons.

A stunned Nathan MacKinnon tried to make sense of the Colorado Avalanche trading Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday night.

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.

Following last Friday's massive trade involving the Colorado Avalanche, Carolina Hurricanes and Chicago Blackhawks, the players involved are settling into their new environments. And in Denver, the key piece the Avs got in return for shipping out star winger Mikko Rantanen -- forward Martin Necas -- has quickly adapted and become a major part of Colorado's attack.

The Colorado Avalanche will face the New York Islanders in this NHL matchup at UBS Arena on Tuesday, January 28th. WATCH: Avalanche vs Islanders Live | Stream on ESPN+ Colorado finds itself fourth in the Central Division standings despite having the leading points scorer in the NHL,

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

The surprising trade that saw the Colorado Avalanche trade star winger Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes has been met with shock and some level of despair within the Avs’ locker room. Rantanen has twice broken the 100-point mark during his 10 seasons in Colorado,

Nathan MacKinnon is in a tight race for the Hart Trophy (MVP), but the Colorado Avalanche center likely added another bullet point to his strong résumé on Wednesday night.

It’s become a pattern now — the Colorado Avalanche look like the better team for the better part of the first 40 minutes and then the final period is a problem.

Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon extended Colorado’s lead in its Western Conference showdown against the Oilers with two first-period goals in rapid succession.