Toronto Maple Leafs Lose Out on Mikko Rantanen as Hurricanes & Stars Work to Finalize a Blockbuster Trade

Mikko Rantanen and the Carolina Hurricanes were never a matchmade in heaven and it had teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs looking to take advantage at the trade deadline.

Despite being a similar player to Mitch Marner, there is no denying that general manager Brad Treliving would have loved a guy with 27 goals and 70 points on his team this season.

Unfortunately, it would appear as though the Leafs have missed the boat on yet another superstar forward.

According to reporter Elliotte Friedman early this morning just after midnight, the Dallas Stars and the Carolina Hurricanes began intense talks concerning Rantanen.

As of right now, a trade is not done yet but it is being heavily worked on. Furthermore, as Friedman explains, it will include a contract extension, which means Mikko Rantanen will finally have a permanent home.

For now, it is unknown what the return will be, and if the Carolina Hurricanes will be able to recoup their losses after trading away Martin Necas and Jack Drury.

Either way, this potential trade is just yet another indicator of how the Hurricanes should have never gotten into this mess in the first place.

Moreover, the Western Conference is about to get a whole lot strong, and you have to like the Dallas Stars' chances of going on a Stanley Cup run, should the deal get done.

If you are a Toronto Maple Leafs fan, losing out on Mikko Rantanen is disappointing, but it was likely never going to happen in the first place.

Instead, it will be important to look ahead to the events of today, with the team looking at centers like Scott Laughton and Brayden Schenn.