Former Avalanche star breaks silence with shocking message to fans on social media
Photo credit: Instagram / cradnec
Adjusting to change is never easy, regardless of when it happens. Just ask former Colorado Avalanche Mikko Rantanen after a roller-coaster of a season.
Former Avalanche star breaks silence with shocking message to fans.
Trent Finnegan from Denver Sports writes that this wasn't your typical midseason trade. It unfolded six weeks before the trade deadline in a whirlwind of urgency, driven by the Avs front office's inability to agree on a contract extension with the Finnish star.
"Reports were all over the place as to what Rantanen's ideal number was as opposed to what Colorado's was, but at the end of the day, no deal got done, and Rantanen was sent off to the Carolina Hurricanes in a deal that netted Martin Necas and Jack Drury as the primary assets." -Finnegan
The shakeup didn't end with the trade to Carolina. Rantanen, clearly out of sorts and not quite himself with the Hurricanes, was dealt again, this time to the Dallas Stars.
"There, he signed an 8-year, $12 million contract extension that was pretty close to the number that the Avalanche had reportedly offered him, a move that felt like a stab in the back to so many Avalanche fans who loved and supported the Moose over the years. If he signed that deal in Carolina, it likely would've gone over better. However, since he decided to do it with Dallas, who has formed a healthy rivalry with Colorado over recent years in the Central Division." -Finnegan
Over the weekend, the former Avalanche standout shared an end-of-season message on Instagram following a disappointing playoff run, where he struggled to produce offensively and the Stars were eliminated by the Edmonton Oilers in just five games.
"Change is never easy, but I'm grateful for the journey this season that brought me to the Stars. Thank you to the entire Dallas organization and fanbase for a warm welcome. I'm excited for the future of this team. Enjoy your summer Stars fans and see you in September." -Rantanen
The most telling detail in Rantanen's latest post is the limited number of comments, as he restricted replies to just a select group.
"This was not a move that he did after the trade, as the comments on the post he made after the trade are north of 1,600. It appears that he's aware that his decision to sign with Dallas for a similar amount of money somewhat villainized him among the Avalanche faithful, and restricted the comments to limit that negative pushback he likely would have received." -Finnegan
What was once among the strongest bonds between a player and a fanbase in the NHL just five months ago is now fractured, leaving behind tension and hard feelings.
Rantanen is set to wear the green and white for years to come, and Avalanche fans will need to adjust fast, especially before he racks up another hat trick against his former team.
| POLL | ||
JUIN 17 | 28 ANSWERS Former Avalanche star breaks silence with shocking message to fans on social media Do you think the Avalanche will ever fully recover from losing a player like Mikko Rantanen? | ||
| yes | 19 | 67.9 % |
| no | 9 | 32.1 % |
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