The word “blockbuster” gets thrown around a little too often in today’s NHL, often for trades unworthy of the term, in the same way that anything might feel like a five-star meal to a starving man. But the deal that dropped on Friday night? That one deserves the title, no questions asked.

New Hurricanes star winger Mikko Rantanen was reportedly blindsided by his trade from the Avalanche on Friday.

Last week’s Mikko Rantanen blockbuster has stirred up trade anticipation amongst NHL fans. And as the March 7 NHL trade deadline approaches, fans are left to ponder who could be the next notable name on the move.

On Friday night, the Carolina Hurricanes made a blockbuster deal with the Colorado Avalanche, acquiring Mikko Rantanen in exchange for Martin Necas and Jack Drury.

Who won Friday night's blockbuster that saw Mikko Rantanen go from the Colorado Avalanche to the Carolina Hurricanes?

While the Oilers currently have $5 million of available cap space, Edmonton will need to re-sign McDavid and defenseman Evan Bouchard to contract extensions this and next summer. That, however, won't be a problem for the Oilers in Strickland's eyes.

The Hurricanes wasted no time making their major cup-chasing move. Despite the NHL Trade deadline being over a month away, Carolina added the most-significant firepower imaginable by acquiring Mikko Rantanen from the Colorado Avalanche in a complicated three-way trade involving the Chicago Blackhawks.

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.

Though there's still season left to play, the Edmonton Oilers will likely face one of these four teams in the first round of the playoffs.

The Carolina Hurricanes' blockbuster trade to acquire Mikko Rantanen from the Colorado Avalanche on Friday is still resonating and was one of the topics on this week's episode of the " NHL Unscripted with Virk and Demers " podcast presented by iHeartPodcasts.

Thursday’s NHL slate offers prime player prop bets, including Kyle Connor, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Mikko Rantanen. Check out the best betting picks and insights