* puts vacation on pause to tell you that *

The #Canes have signed defenseman Oliver Kylington and forward Givani Smith to professional tryouts (PTOs).https://t.co/LNgaUddwsR

— Walt Ruff (@WaltRuff) August 27, 2025

Defenseman Oliver Kylington and forward Givani Smith signed professional tryouts with the Hurricanes on Wednesday, allowing them an opportunity to attend camp and fight for a contract and a spot in the lineup.

Kylington, 28, was an early August free agent signing for Colorado last season. He was one of those players coming off of a rough couple of years but was loaded with talent and potential. Things didn’t end up working out with him and the Avalanche.

He dressed in just 13 games for the Avs and six more after getting dealt. On the ice, Kylington struggled with consistency at both ends of the ice and off the ice, injuries kept him on the shelf for large parts of the season. He finished with a goal and two assists.

Read More: Avalanche Will Be Spotlighted on National Broadcasts 17 Times in 2025-26

Kylington was a contract throw-in by Colorado in the blockbuster deal that sent Calum Ritchie and a first-round pick to the New York Islanders for second-line center Brock Nelson. He was traded again the next day to the Anaheim Ducks for future considerations.

Smith, 27, was also traded twice in 2024-25. The Avs acquired him from San Jose in December in a massive deal that brought Mackenzie Blackwood to Colorado and sent Alexandar Georgiev and Nikolai Kovalenko the other way. Smith played seven games for the Avalanche and six for the Eagles in the AHL, and wasn’t a factor for either squad.

On deadline day, Smith was dealt to the Philadelphia Flyers in a one-for-one trade for Erik Johnson.

The post Carolina Hurricanes Sign Two Former Avs to PTOs appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

All that and more on this edition of Deen’s Daily — May 27.

Stanley Cup Playoff Recap

• Game 3 — Edmonton Oilers at Dallas Stars: The Oilers have been the better team for the majority of the first three games of this series. In Game 3, they dominated Dallas, winning 6-1 to gain a 2-1 series lead. The Stars have had a lot of trouble generating offense aside from Mikko Rantanen’s hot streak, and that continued in this one. They’re struggling at 5-on-5. Wyatt Johnston, for example, has just eight points in 16 games and is a whopping -17.
• Game 4 — Florida Panthers at Carolina Hurricanes: For the first time in almost 19 years, the Carolina Hurricanes won a game in the Eastern Conference Final. They shut out the Florida Panthers 3-0 in Game 4 on Monday to avoid getting swept for the second time in three years. Freddie Andersen didn’t play in Game 3 but came back in and stopped all 21 shots he faced.

Tonight’s Schedule

• Game 4: Dallas Stars at Edmonton Oilers (6 pm MT on ESPN & ESPN+)

Around The NHL

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Three thoughts from Dan Kingerski as we continue to await a hire for the Pens’ next head coach.

Detroit Hockey Now: Five factors to consider about Red Wings’ offseason plans.

Florida Hockey Now: Brad Machand said he was eating a Dairy Queen Blizzard in the middle of Game 3. You’d be shocked to learn he was joking.

Vegas Hockey Now: Why Mitch Marner does and doesn’t make sense for the Golden Knights.

The post Deen’s Daily: Oilers Can Take Control Tonight; Hurricanes Avoid Sweep appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

Dallas acquired the former Avs superstar winger six weeks after he was sent to Carolina. In return, the Hurricanes received forward Logan Stankoven, two first-round and two third-round draft picks.

Rantanen then signed an eight-year max term contract extension worth $96 million with the Stars as part of the deal. He also got a full no-movement clause.

READ MORE: Necas on Rantanen Speculation: ‘They Probably Should Have Known That He Would Sign In Carolina’

The past six weeks have been quite a whirlwind for all parties involved. Looking back, it’s almost unheard of to see something like this play out, especially given the talent involved and all three teams being Stanley Cup contenders.

“I don’t think it’s something either of us are really looking forward to, playing against each other, just with the history we have with him and winning and him being such a key part of this team and such a close friend,” defenseman Devon Toews said of Rantanen. “It’s always hard to have those matches against each other.

“It just doesn’t sound fun for me to have to deal with.”

Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland spent most of the summer and the start of the regular season trying to lock up his superstar winger. The talks reached a stalemate after reports surfaced that Rantanen’s camp was looking for a deal upwards of Nathan MacKinnon’s $12.6 million AAV — and as high as $14 million per year, matching Leon Draisaitl’s extension with Edmonton.

“We made a really hard decision, and it was a hockey decision,” MacFarland said of the initial Rantanen trade in January. “Mikko is a great hockey player and a great person, and I’ll always wish him the best. But we don’t spend much time on seeing what other teams may or may not do. I think the Dallas Stars got a great hockey player and a great person.”

With both sides far apart on a deal, the Avs decided to move forward with a trade, suddenly shipping off the fan favorite to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for Martin Necas, Jack Drury, and two draft picks.

Necas, who was Carolina’s leading scorer at the time, has enjoyed instant success in Colorado. He has five goals and 10 assists in 14 games, which includes three game-winning goals.

Rantanen, on the other hand, struggled in Carolina. In 13 games, he scored two goals and added four assists. He was admittedly blindsided by the trade and needed time to adjust. While dealing with his on-ice struggles, the Hurricanes were also trying to lock him up to an extension, which Rantanen refused to do.

READ MORE: Avalanche Thrilled with Brock Nelson’s Arrival

Instead of keeping him as a rental and continuing extension talks in the summer, Carolina instead chose to recoup assets. The Stars, however, were unwilling to part with this significant of a package without permission to speak to Rantanen first. Talks began late Thursday night and went through the morning before a deal was reached.

The trade was contingent on Rantanen signing an extension with Dallas.

Ultimately, Carolina sent away Necas, Drury, a second, and a fourth to acquire Stankoven, Taylor Hall, two firsts and two thirds. In hindsight, they probably want a do-over.

The post Rantanen Traded to Dallas, Signs 8-Year, $96 Million Extension appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported late Thursday night that talks were intensifying between the Hurricanes and Stars to ship the Finnish forward to Colorado’s Central Division rival. Hours later, Friedman said that a framework of a deal was agreed to between both clubs, with a possible contract extension coming in the early morning hours.

Meaning, the Stars would be acquiring Rantanen and instantly signing him to a contract extension.

READ MORE: Necas on Rantanen Speculation: ‘They Probably Should Have Known That He Would Sign In Carolina’

Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli later added to the report. He said that the Stars and Rantanen’s agents are actively negotiating a new contract — with Carolina’s permission — and a trade is conditioned on an extension.

It’s unclear at this time what that deal could look like. But all signs are pointing towards Rantanen being moved as long as Stars GM Jim Nill is able to meet the demands of Rantanen’s camp.

READ MORE: Avalanche Thrilled with Brock Nelson’s Arrival

If Rantanen joins Dallas, he’ll be back in Denver on March 16 to take on the Avs for the first time since being moved in late January. Neither team has locked in a playoff seed yet, but there’s a huge possibility that Colorado and Dallas could meet in the postseason and likely in the first round.

We’ll see how it plays out before Friday’s 1 p.m. deadline.

Rantanen was back on the market because of a refusal to sign an extension with the Canes before the deadline. Carolina traded Martin Necas, Jack Drury, and two draft picks to acquire him and was unwilling to risk losing him as a free agent on July 1.

Rantanen has also struggled since leaving Colorado. After playing on Thursday for Carolina, Rantanen finished his 13th game with the club and has just two goals and four assists. It’s a far cry from the 100-plus point pace he was playing at with the Avs.

More to come.

The post Report: Dallas Stars Have Framework for Mikko Rantanen Trade, Pending Contract Extension appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

It’s been almost six weeks since the Avalanche shocked the hockey world by shipping Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes in a deal involving Martin Necas and Jack Drury. Rantanen was supposed to — and still could — be the missing link for Rod Brind’Amours club to get over the hump in the playoffs.

But after a slow start with his new team and an unwillingness to sign a contract extension before Friday’s deadline, Rantanen found himself back in the trade rumor mill.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported Wednesday evening that Carolina canvassed the league to gauge interest in the two-time 100-point performer. Among the teams he listed as interested parties are the Toronto Maple Leafs, Dallas Stars, and Los Angeles Kings.

He noted that there are more than likely others who are interested.

The Leafs are in the east, but a Rantanen trade back to the West could lead to a series against the Avs this spring. Especially if it’s the Stars who end up acquiring him. There’s a big chance Colorado and Dallas could face each other in the first round, whether it’s as the No. 2 vs. No. 3 matchup or if the Avs remain in a wildcard seed and the Stars catch Winnipeg for tops in the Central Division.

Rantanen has two goals and four assists in 12 games since the trade. His struggles are in part because he hasn’t yet adjusted to a new system and because his ice-time has dropped nearly three minutes per game. It also doesn’t help that he had spent the majority of his NHL career playing alongside Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar.

Not having those guys anymore is an adjustment in itself.

The Hurricanes are trying to lock up Rantanen to a max-term deal and made an offer in February for upwards of $100 million. While he hasn’t denied interest in signing in the future, Rantanen reportedly told the Canes that he’s not yet ready to commit.

It’s well documented that the trade caught him by surprise and committing to another team isn’t yet something he’s ready to do.

The trade deadline is at 1 p.m. MT on Friday. Carolina could still choose to keep him and make a run with hopes of signing him before July 1. But this is still something worth keeping an eye on as we inch closer to the deadline.

The post Report: Mikko Rantanen Could End up Back in Western Conference appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

Seventeen days ago it was the biggest news in the NHL.

Seventeen days later, Rantanen’s name is resurfacing on NHL trade boards after a shaky start to his tenure with the Canes.

Seventeen days later, the NHL is once again trying to blast through the thought that nothing could surprise me anymore. Because this would.

It wasn’t on my bingo card to see Rantanen randomly traded on a Friday evening in late January. It also wouldn’t be on my bingo card if we were to see him again get dealt before the March 7 trade deadline.

Which begs the question: Could Rantanen actually get traded again?

Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos was one of a handful of NHL Insiders who spent the past couple of months speaking about a Rantanen trade out of Colorado. I was among the many reporters around the team who thought the idea was outrageous. But low and behold, Kypreos, TVA’s Renaud Lavoie, and others were correct.

This entire thing completely changed the way I approach these types of trade boards. NHL Insiders, especially the ones who have a better track record, don’t usually speak scenarios into existence. Some clickbait-y journalists do but trusted Insiders only write about scenarios that have some bit of truth to them.

It’s the old saying, “Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.”

Kypreos published his updated trade board on Friday and the first name on the list was Rantanen.

Is this another example of where there’s smoke, there’s fire?

The post Notebook: Could Mikko Rantanen Actually Get Traded Again? appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

Mikko Rantanen is heading to the Carolina Hurricanes in a stunning and complex Friday night deal also involving the Chicago Blackhawks.

Forwards Martin Necas and Jack Drury are coming to Colorado. The Avs also received a 2025 second-round pick and a 2026 fourth-round pick both from the Hurricanes.

Chicago retained half of Rantanen’s contract for the remainder of the season. They are sent Taylor Hall to Carolina

Rantanen, 28, is in the last year of his contract and his 64 points currently rank sixth in the NHL. The team and player have been struggling to come to terms on an extension all season. Rantanen’s camp was looking at Leon Draisaitl’s recent eight-year, $112 million deal ($14 million AAV) as a comparable while the Avs were trying to get him signed for less than MacKinnon’s $12.6 million AAV.

The superstar winger is one of the best to ever suit up for the Avs. He ranks seventh in franchise history in points and is fourth in the league since 2020-21. He led all Colorado forwards in points during the 2022 Stanley Cup championship run.

Necas has 55 points in 49 games and is signed for an extra year at $6.5 million. Drury is also in the first of a two-year contract worth $1.725 million per season. He has nine points in 39 games.

The post Avalanche Trade Mikko Rantanen To Carolina in 3-Way Deal For Martin Necas and Jack Drury appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

Before Valeri Nichushkin scored the first of his two late in the third period, the Avalanche had just 19 shots and were trailing by two goals. It wasn’t enough, and the Carolina Hurricanes went on to defeat Colorado 5-3 at PNC Arena on Thursday. Carolina got to 15 shots in the first period alone.

“We know that Carolina is a team that’s gonna throw a lot of pucks at me,” goalie Scott Wedgewood told reporters. “It’s kinda how they generate chances.”

Wedgewood was in goal again, making his first start with the Avs after a perfect relief performance two nights prior. He didn’t allow a goal until Carolina’s 12th shot — the 32nd overall shot he faced in an Avalanche uniform. But even his early swagger couldn’t keep Colorado in this one.

The Avs got the first goal from Artturi Lehkonen off a breakaway but were stopped twice more in breakaway opportunities against Pyotr Kochetkov. It was their only goal until Nichushkin made it 3-2 with 5:19 remaining. The team was then called for a too many men penalty and the Canes quickly took advantage. With the two-goal lead restored, Nichushkin scored again, but an empty netter put the game away shortly thereafter.

The Avs fell to 14-13-0 at the one-third mark of the season. They’re also 1-1-0 on their five-game road trip and will get an opportunity to bounce back on Saturday in Detroit.

Bad: Power play

There’s something really stinky about the Avalanche’s struggling power play and it’s different from the issues or ruts they’ve experienced in recent years. Against Carolina, the lack of power-play goals is probably what did it for the Avs. They had three chances, two of which overlapped, giving them a two-man advantage. In total, Colorado was 0-for-5:03 of PP time. Meanwhile, Carolina scored twice on the man advantage.

The problems arise on their zone entries — something they’ve often been one of the best at. Perhaps teams have finally figured out how to defend the Nathan MacKinnon slingshot entry, or maybe Colorado is trying to do too much and it’s leading to mistakes. This often happens when you’re mired in a rut like this. But the Avs’ inability to even get set up is concerning. They can’t flex their talent and skills on the cycle and in front of the net if they can’t even get into the offensive zone and possess the puck.

Something’s gotta give. Maybe Ross Colton can reignite the power play. But having Nichushkin back was supposed to help and it hasn’t yet. More on him below.

Good: Valeri Nichushkin’s goals

We still haven’t seen the consistently dominant Nichushkin from early last season and in the playoffs. There have been flashes of it, like last week when he was the only Colorado scorer in a 2-1 shootout victory over a tough Vegas team.

The good news is, he usually takes time to get going. At least that’s what happened when he returned from his NHLPA stint last March. The bad news? Colorado needs him now. Every night.

The two tallies he had late in the third period were a reminder of what the Avs have in him. If he can get going on the power play again, it’ll help the team, and himself, as the Avalanche continue to play at or near .500 hockey.

The post Good & Bad: Avalanche’s Power Play Not Good Enough in Loss to Carolina appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

The Colorado Avalanche (14-12-0) continue their five-game road trip with a matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes (16-8-1). Puck drop is scheduled for 5 p.m. MT.

READ MORE: 10 Observations From the Avalanche’s Massive Come-From-Behind Victory vs Buffalo (+)

The last time these two teams met in November, the Hurricanes were riding an eight-game winning streak and jumped out to a 2-0 lead over the Avs at Ball Arena. But as is usually the case, the top superstars took control, and the Avs, led by Nathan MacKinnon (1 goal, 3 assists), Mikko Rantanen (1 goal, 1 assist), and Cale Makar (1 goal) exploded for five goals in the second period to eventually defeat the Canes 6-4.

Carolina isn’t entering this game on a lengthy winning streak — it’s actually the opposite. Rod Brind’Amour’s club has lost three in a row, all in regulation, and is coming off a bad loss to the Seattle Kraken. The expectation for them is to stop the bleeding and bounce back against Colorado. But they’ll have to figure out their goaltending first.

Carolina recently signed Dustin Tokarski, who didn’t play in the NHL in 2023-24, to a one-year contract. The Canes are missing starter Frederik Andersen, but Pyotr Kochetkov recently returned from concussion protocol. The Russian netminder was in goal in the loss to Seattle.

The Avs’ last game was a tale of two performances. First, they let in four goals in 12 minutes with a struggling Alexandar Georgiev in goal. Then they scored five times the rest of the way after Scott Wedgewood entered in relief and was perfect in stopping all 22 shots he faced. Wedgewood is getting his first start with the Avalanche since being acquired from the Nashville Predators last weekend.

READ MORE: Wedgewood the Savior? Georgiev Stumbles but Avalanche Complete Comeback in Buffalo

The post Avalanche Game 27 at Carolina Hurricanes, Wedgewood’s First Start! Lines, Notes, & How to Watch appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

“I think I was about ready to score one. Feel like I had my fair share of chances in the first 14 games. So yeah, it was good to get one under my belt,” Malinski said. “It feels great, obviously, like it was maybe a little frustrating at times when I wasn’t being able to score, and I felt like I was getting chances and whatnot. So, yeah, it’s definitely relieving,”

The Lakeville, Minnesota native earned 10 points in 23 games he played for the Avs last season. His average time on ice was 14:14 with a total of 31 shots on goal. He said before the season started that he changed his conditioning over the summer and bulked up in size a bit. He has stepped up his game the last few and head coach Jared Bednar has taken notice.

Nathan MacKinnon Named 2nd NHL Star of the Week

“I thought he (Malinski) was great. That was a heck of a play, too. He pushes it up the ice and follows it up. And in Winnipeg, he was really good too,” Bednar said after the victory over the Canes. “He was a guy that helped turn the momentum around. I thought, for us in Winnipeg, staying up on his coverage in the neutral zone and knocking pucks down and transitioning us — it was a strength of his game there, and I thought he did a nice job of it again tonight, and that goal is a prime example.”

Malinski earned a starting spot on the Avs’ defense and has played with a few different partners through 15 games. His average TOI has increased to 15:46 and he has tallied 19 SOG. He has had to adjust to different D-partners as Bednar has swapped out defensemen depending on the matchup.

“When we’re all playing together and we’re all playing as a team, I think that’s when we’re our best,” Malinski said.

The lineup will alter as injured players return (Jonathan Drouin, Ross Colton, Miles Wood, Gabriel Landeskog) and Valeri Nichushkin returns from suspension. However, the team is excited about the changes and plans on smooth transitioning to keep the momentum going.

“It’s obviously great to have those guys back, and they’ve been around this organization for so long that they’re able to jump in without skipping a beat and not disrupting the culture or anything of the group. We’re definitely looking forward to having Val back,” Malinski said.

The post Sam Malinski Says He Was ‘Ready to Score One’ appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.