Fantasy Impact: Rantanen to CAR, Necas to COL

On Friday night, the Colorado Avalanche and Carolins Hurricanes completed one of the biggest in-season trades in NHL history.

What seemed like a relaxing four-game Friday night slate quickly turned into a frenzy when DailyFaceoff’s Frank Seravalli announced that Mikko Rantanen was being traded to the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Full Trade:

Let’s dive into how this trade affects each player’s fantasy values.

Mikko Rantanen (CAR – RW)

Rantanen has been among the NHL’s best point producers over the last few seasons. He’s on pace for his third-straight 100-plus point season and ranks sixth in the NHL with 273 points (122G / 151A) in 211 games over the last two and a half seasons.

The main concern I have for Rantanen’s fantasy value is usage. He went from a Colorado team that leaned heavily on him and Nathan MacKinnon to a Carolina team that likes to balance out their lines and playing time. I don’t think we see Rantanen playing 22-plus minutes per game in Carolina, and that could negatively impact his production.

Still, he’ll likely land on a line with fellow countryman Sebastian Aho, who is top-10 among forwards in on-ice 5v5 xGF/60. Aho’s lines have always dominated puck possession and created scoring chances at elite rates. And he’s done so while rarely having an elite winger. It’s fair to assume that Rantanen will take Aho’s game to the next level, and the duo could be among the league’s best.

Look at Jake Guentzel last season. He went from playing 20:53 ATOI in Pittsburgh to 17:30 ATOI in Carolina, but his production skyrocketed. Guentzel put up 25 points (8G / 17A) in 17 games with the Hurricanes, playing almost exclusively with Aho (77.1% of his 5v5 ice time). The duo found instant chemistry, and it raised Aho’s game. The same thing is likely to happen with Rantanen.

Martin Necas (COL – RW)

While the trade could negatively impact Rantanen’s usage, it could turn Necas into a fantasy star. We’ve already seen glimpses of what he’s capable of this season. Through his first 28 games of the season, he was second in the NHL with 43 points (14G / 29A), trailing only MacKinnon. He did so while playing just 18:29 ATOI, and his usage could soar in Colorado. An additional few minutes, especially with MacKinnon, could lead to Necas rediscovering that early-season form. Necas played almost exclusively with Jesperi Kotkaniemi this season. No disrespect to Kotkaniemi, but MacKinnon would obviously be a significant upgrade.

Taylor Hall (CAR – LW)

Hall is the forgotten piece in this trade. The veteran winger had 24 points (9G / 15A) in 46 games with the Blackhawks this season. Depending on where Hall lands in the Hurricanes’ lineup will determine how much value he has moving forward. Chances are, he replaces Necas on a line with Kotkaniemi, at which point, he would be nothing more than a streaming option when the schedule lines up.