Mikko Rantanen Breaks His Silence After Being Traded by the Colorado Avalanche

Mikko Rantanen is up for a new contract and as it turns out, the Colorado Avalanche had no interest in paying that contract.

Consequently, they decided to send Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes in a blockbuster deal that also involved the Chicago Blackhawks and Taylor Hall.

The Avalanche got Jack Drury and Martin Necas back in the deal, however, there is no doubt that losing Rantanen stings a whole lot.

Last night, Rantanen played his first game with the Hurricanes, a 3-2 loss in overtime against the New York Islanders.

After the game, the forward made his first public comments about the trade, noting that he wasn't going to go in-depth on what happened.

Following the trade, there were numerous reports that Rantanen was livid with the Avalanche, although it is clear that he has no interest in publically blasting them.

Instead, he is simply keeping his thoughts to himself and going about his business. This is good news for the Hurricanes, who won't have to deal with any drama in the media.

Moving forward, the Hurricanes are being looked as one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup and it is easy to see why.

Only time will tell whether or not this is a team that meets the Toronto Maple in the Eastern Conference Finals.