Look, there's nothing that I'd rather do than do a freaking jig on the graves of the Colorado Avalanche. The Cha Cha Slide, a Moonwalk, and maybe even the Marcus Foligno-centric "Hot To Go" parody Nordy does on the Xcel Energy Center's Jumbotron.

Nonetheless, you can expect the Wild to take advantage of this rising salary cap and be active in the FA market. But the main focus come July 1 will always be to extend Kirill Kaprizov and with the cap hit going to $104 million when Kaprizov's deal starts, one can expect Kaprizov's next contract to start with a minimum of $14 million.

Facing the prospect of Colorado’s star winger Mikko Rantanen becoming an unrestricted free agent after this season, general manager Chris MacFarland felt the timing was right to deal him away and bolster the Avalanche’s roster for the future.

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

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

The clock is ticking on the Colorado Avalanche and star forward Mikko Rantanen to come to an agreement on a contract extension. With the 28-year-old set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of 2024-25, the Avalanche really have from now until the March 7 trade deadline to decide on Rantanen's long-term future with the club.

Ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs' game on Wednesday against the Minnesota Wild, there are reports of a heavy scout presence in the arena raising trade speculation.

Marc-Andre Fleury made 19 saves for his first shutout of the season in likely his final game in Montreal, helping the Minnesota Wild beat the Canadiens 4-0 on Thursday night. The 40-year-old Fleury, from Sorel-Tracy about 50 miles northeast of Montreal,

Mikko Rantanen scored his first goal with the Carolina Hurricanes, helping them 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.

BOSTON -- As Chris MacFarland wrapped up his remarks Saturday, as he explained the forces that had caused him to send forward Mikko Rantanen across the country from the Colorado Avalanche to the Carolina Hurricanes, a blockbuster trade that shook the franchise and fanbase, he uttered the words that were at the bottom of everything.

Colorado Avalanche right wing Mikko Rantanen, left, squares off against Minnesota Wild defenseman Jake Middleton before a referee stops the brewing scrum in the third period of an NHL hockey game ...

Minnesota Wild star Kirill Kaprizov will be out a minimum of four weeks after the surgery. Follow this tracker for the latest NHL news.