In a three-team blockbuster NHL trade, the Carolina Hurricanes added two key forwards from Colorado and Chicago.

Welcome to Scott Wheeler’s 2025 rankings of every NHL organization’s prospects. You can find the complete ranking and more information on the project and its criteria here, as we count down daily from No. 32 to No. 1. The series, which includes in-depth evaluations and insight from sources on nearly 500 prospects, runs from Jan. 8 to Feb. 7.

Rantanen is one of the NHL’s top playoff performers; he ranks fourth among active players in career playoff points per game (1.25) behind Edmonton Oilers forwards Connor McDavid (1.58), Leon Draisaitl (1.46) and his now former teammate MacKinnon (1.30) and helped Colorado win the Stanley Cup in 2022.

The Hurricanes, in their history, have never traded for an in-his-prime superstar like Mikko Rantanen. This changes everything.

The Carolina Hurricanes have quickly become a team to watch on the market ahead of the March 7 NHL Trade Deadline.

The Carolina Hurricanes acquired forwards Mikko Rantanen from the Colorado Avalanche and Taylor Hall from the Chicago Blackhawks in a three-team trade Friday night.

The Carolina Hurricanes took a swing for the fences Friday night by acquiring high-scoring forward Mikko Rantanen from the Colorado

The hockey world is still processing the blockbuster Mikko Rantanen trade on Friday night. The Carolina Hurricanes traded for Rantanen and Taylor Hall in a three-team trade with the Colorado Avalanche and Chicago Blackhawks.