It has been an eventful and stressful nearly 24 hours for the Colorado Avalanche and their fans. On Friday night, elite forward Mikko Rantanen was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes for forwards Martin Necas and Jack Drury as part of a three-team deal including the Chicago Blackhawks.

Rantanen said he thought talks with the Avs had been productive before the shocking trade to the Canes: "I didn’t know we were in a rush."

Three days after the blockbuster trade of Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes for Jack Drury and Martin Necas — it still hasn’t sunk in for fans and/or media. As a journalist, I have to handle it with a neutral perspective and look at the situation from all viewpoints.

The Avalanche began the process of moving on with its first win since the deal Sunday afternoon against the Rangers. Drury scored a goal. Necas was dynamic, collecting two assists and hitting both the crossbar and post with shots while playing in Rantanen’s old spot next to MacKinnon.

The Avalanche played their first game in the post-Mikko Rantanen era. How did they do? Also, Jared Bednar and Nathan MacKinnon were open and honest about their thoughts on the trade. So was another former teammate,

Following a 3-1 loss to the Boston Bruins on Saturday, the first game without Rantanen, Avs superstar Nathan MacKinnon sat down in the locker room with reporters and reminisced on his old friend and former teammate.

Jared Bednar has been known to rely heavily ... Two, the Avalanche's big trade that sent Mikko Rantanen to Carolina Friday brought in additional depth. Martin Necas has stepped in and fit in ...

As much as the Colorado Avalanche would've liked to cap off this whirlwind of a road trip on a positive note, they failed to do so. The team, which looks a little different having replaced Mikko Rantanen with Martin Necas and Jack Drury,

The trade that sent Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes surprised many people, including the player himself.

The Colorado Avalanche looks like the better team for the better part of the first 40 minutes and then the final period is a problem. Colorado had all kinds of chances in the first two periods Tuesday night at UBS Arena,

ELMONT, N.Y. -- Simon Holmstrom had two goals and an assist for the New York Islanders, who won their fifth straight game with a 5-2 victory against the Colorado Avalanche at UBS Arena on Tuesday.

Mikko Rantanen is now with the Carolina Hurricanes, something he did not envision happening. He was discussing a contract extension with the Colorado Avalanche before the surprise move. He admitted he was willing to take less than his market value to stay. Via Athlon Sports, the winger said: