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.

Last week’s Mikko Rantanen blockbuster has stirred up trade anticipation amongst NHL fans. And as the March 7 NHL trade deadline approaches, fans are left to ponder who could be the next notable name on the move.

That's why the three-way deal that sent Mikko Rantanen and Taylor Hall to Carolina, Martin Necas and Jack Drury to Colorado, and a third-round pick to Chicago is such a shocker.

The Hurricanes wasted no time making their major cup-chasing move. Despite the NHL Trade deadline being over a month away, Carolina added the most-significant firepower imaginable by acquiring Mikko Rantanen from the Colorado Avalanche in a complicated three-way trade involving the Chicago Blackhawks.

Rantanen is one of the NHL’s top playoff performers; he ranks fourth among active players in career playoff points per game (1.25) behind Edmonton Oilers forwards Connor McDavid (1.58), Leon Draisaitl (1.46) and his now former teammate MacKinnon (1.30) and helped Colorado win the Stanley Cup in 2022.

Who won Friday night's blockbuster that saw Mikko Rantanen go from the Colorado Avalanche to the Carolina Hurricanes?

New Hurricanes star winger Mikko Rantanen was reportedly blindsided by his trade from the Avalanche on Friday.

It’s safe to say trade season has officially begun. After the Carolina Hurricanes, Colorado Avalanche, and Chicago Blackhawks made arguably the biggest