Mikko Rantanen was just as surprised by the news ... According to The Athletic, Rantanen was in his Boston hotel room on Friday evening preparing to take on the Bruins the following day.

Chris MacFarland said Mikko Rantanen’s pending free agency, need for more depth were biggest factors in seismic move.

Chris MacFarland pointed to Rantanen’s pending free agency and the club’s desire to get deeper after three years of being short in that department as reasons for the trade. The NHL’s salary cap ceiling, which is set at $88 million this year but is expected to rise — possibly significantly — in the next couple of seasons is also a factor.

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.

The Avalanche traded Mikko Rantanen on Friday night and less than 24 hours later packed up bags on Causeway Street after a 3-1 loss to the Bruins at TD Garden. Absent Rantanen, who entered the ...

Colorado Avalanche right wing Mikko Rantanen (96) celebrates with the bench after scoring against Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger (29) during the second period of Game 3 of an NHL Stanley Cup second-round playoff series Saturday, May 11, 2024, at Ball Arena in Denver. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)

The Rangers look to rebound from a disappointing loss to the Avalanche. After facing Martin Necas and Jack Drury with their new team Sunday, New York gets to take on Mikko Rantanen on his. The Blueshirts are on the midst of a critical and rough seven game stretch leading into the 4 Nations Faceoff with games against Boston (home and away),

After that game, Avalanche players finally had a chance to publicly react to the trade, and the team's best player, Nathan MacKinnon, had one of the stronger reactions.

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

The NHL world is still buzzing about Friday's blockbuster trade that sent Mikko Rantanen from the Colorado ... trade in the salary cap era since the Boston Bruins shipped Joe Thornton to the ...

Brad Penner Brad Penner-Imagn Images Fewer than 24 hours after learning they were changing teams, Mikko Rantanen and Taylor ... Maine (Sun Journal), and Boston (Boston Herald).