RALEIGH, North Carolina: The trade deadline has passed, and the Carolina Hurricanes have taken the best of it. Now fifth overall in NHL standings, the Canes are 8-2-0 since the deadline.
The first trade made at the deadline was a highly debated move: transferring a superstar. Former Avalanche star Mikko Rantanen was traded to Dallas in a blockbuster — albeit controversial — deal the day of the deadline. Rather than risking Rantanen walking in free agency, the move made was to exchange him for twenty-two-year-old Logan Stankoven, a Dallas Stars prodigy. Stankoven debuted in Raleigh on February 26, 2024, in a 2-1 win for the Stars.
The Stars also exchanged two first-round picks in the deal.
Stankoven has made a quiet impact, particularly on the third line, replacing Seth Jarvis, who now fills Rantanen’s former slot on the top line with teammate Sebastian Aho. With a goal and three assists, the most recent of which being Sunday’s 5-4 win over the New York Islanders, Stankoven is projected to continue growing in the Carolina system. He has 11 goals and 23 assists between Carolina and Dallas this season.
The second trade made was with the Nashville Predators, exchanging forward Mark Jankowski in exchange for a 2025 fifth-round pick.
Jankowski, or referred to by Carolina fans as “JanGretzky”, has been an early standout after the deadline. Largely on the fourth line, Jankowski scored two goals in his Hurricanes debut against the Winnipeg Jets. (Carolina won that game, 4-2. Jankowski was named the first star.) Since then, Jankowski has lit the lamp in nearly every game as a Hurricane, the most recent of which was on Sunday’s win against the Islanders.
Acquired in the Rantanen deal, former first-overall pick Taylor Hall has also been a star for the Hurricanes, revitalizing a doomed powerplay. On March 25, Hall scored his sixth career hat trick in a 5-2 win for Carolina against the Anaheim Ducks. It was the first Hurricanes hat trick of the 2024-2025 season.
Earlier today, the organization announced they had traded Lucas Mercuri to the Tampa Bay Lightning for a 2025 sixth round pick. Mercuri, drafted by the organization at 159th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft, informed the Hurricanes organization that he would not sign late last week.
The organization’s next game is at home on Wednesday against the Washington Capitals, with Alex Ovechkin at five goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record.
ITR 44: We Have A Champion…Again – Inside The Rink
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