After one of the biggest in-season blockbuster trades in recent history, could the Mikko Rantanen deal have a rippling effect?

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Mikko Rantanen scored his first goal with Carolina, helping the Hurricanes beat the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 on Thursday night. Seth Jarvis and Jaccob Slavin also scored for the Hurricanes, who won for the sixth time in seven games. Pyotr Kochetkov made 18 saves.

Will he re-sign in Carolina after this season -- and if not, where else? And what will other contenders do to keep pace ahead of the March 7 deadline?

The Blackhawks could expedite their painstaking rebuilding process and be significant players in free agency this summer.

The Avalanche made one of the biggest trades in Colorado sports history last week when it sent away star forward Mikko Rantanen to the Hurricanes in a deal that included the Blackhawks. In return, the Avs received forwards Martin Necas and Jack Drury, plus a pair of draft picks (2025 second-rounder and 2026 fourth-rounder).

Team Finland announced their leadership group for the 4 Nations Face-Off today and both Carolina Hurricanes forwards Sebastian Aho and Mikko Rantanen were named alternate captains. Finland will be captained by Aleksander Barkov of the Florida Panthers and Mikael Granlund of the San Jose Sharks will also serve as an alternate captain.

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.

Can we anticipate Mikko Rantanen lighting the lamp when the Carolina Hurricanes face off with the Chicago Blackhawks at 7:00 PM ET on Thursday? To help you with your bets, check out the numbers and insights below.

RALEIGH, N.C. - Forward Mikko Rantanen etched his first goal with his new team on Thursday, playing a pivotal role in the Carolina Hurricanes' 3-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks.

After the Hurricanes shocked the hockey world over the weekend, Mikko Rantanen still may elect for free agency. Would this make the trade not worth what they gave up?

Ilya Sorokin made 23 saves and Marc Gatcomb scored his first NHL goal as the surging New York Islanders skated to a 3-0 road victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday.