<p>NHL hockey is back, as the league returned to action last weekend, <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/7-takeaways-from-canada-usa-mcdavid-gets-iconic-moment-marner-outstanding-playmaker">fresh off a great 4 Nations Face-Off event</a>. The two-week tournament captivated audiences all over the world, and kudos to the players for buying in.</p>
<p>The NHL didn&#8217;t waste anytime jumping right back into action with 24 games combined Saturday and Sunday. The action on the ice is one thing, but there&#8217;s lots going on off the ice as well. The trade deadline is set for March 7, and with less than two weeks for general managers to complete deals, it should be a busy week ahead.</p>
<p>Here&#8217;s the latest buzz from around the NHL:</p>
<h2>Rantanen asks for more time to review Hurricanes&#8217; offer</h2>
<p>Mikko Rantanen was blindsided by the trade from the Colorado Avalanche, and while he&#8217;s on a contending team with the Carolina Hurricanes, that hasn&#8217;t completely sold him to this point. <a href="https://x.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1893487395439284344">Sportsnet&#8217;s Elliotte Friedman</a> reports that Rantanen has been offered a nine-digit long-term extension from the Hurricanes, but instead of signing on the dotted line just a couple of weeks after landing in Carolina, he&#8217;s asked for more time to review the offer.</p>
<p>The Hurricanes are expected to listen to trade offers on Rantanen without an extension completed before next Friday&#8217;s deadline. Hurricanes GM Eric Tulsky would hate to lose Rantanen for nothing in the summer if ends up walking, so it will be very interesting to follow what the Hurricanes decide to do should Rantanen remain unsigned.</p>
<p>Rantanen has appeared in seven games with Carolina, scoring once and adding two assists. He&#8217;s averaging 20:10 of ice-time per game so far with the &#8216;Canes, 2:19 less than he was seeing with the Avs earlier in the year.</p>
<p>The interesting tidbit about any Rantanen trade is his contract. The Chicago Blackhawks were involved in the initial trade and retained 50% of the remainder of his contract. The Hurricanes would be dealing the talented winger with just a $4.62 million cap hit, allowing for more teams to get involved before the deadline. Carolina holds Stanley Cup aspirations this season, so look for Tulsky to acquire proven top-six talent if he winds up flipping Rantanen.</p>
<h2>Seth Jones prefers trade to contender</h2>
<p>According to <a href="https://x.com/BenPopeCST/status/1893699842951770347">Ben Pope of The Chicago Sun-Times</a>, Seth Jones has approached Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson about the possibility of a trade to a contending team. Jones feels a change of scenery is something that would bode well for his game, as he&#8217;s not interested in sticking around for a long rebuild.</p>
<p>Jones is in the fifth year of an eight-year, $9.50 million AAV contract and holds a full no-movement clause. Entering <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/knee-jerk-reaction-robertson-domi-lead-maple-leafs-over-blackhawks">Sunday&#8217;s matchup with the Maple Leafs</a>, the 30-year-old right-handed defenceman had registered 26 points in 39 games for the Blackhawks this season.</p>
<p>Jones admitted he understands his contract will be hard to move. Davidson as mentioned, is retaining half of Rantanen&#8217;s salary and $2 million of Jake McCabe&#8217;s salary for the rest of this season. The Blackhawks don&#8217;t have any other retention on the books.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s likely the Blackhawks want NHL talent in return and not a trade package full of draft picks and prospects. They&#8217;ll have a lottery pick as it is considering where they sit in the standings, and Davidson would like to expedite the rebuild as much as possible for the 2025-26 season.</p>
<p>As far as potential teams, the Maple Leafs aren&#8217;t a likely destination, even with Jones at $4.75 million. The Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers and Columbus Blue Jackets seem like potential landing spots.</p>
<h2>Canucks sign Kevin Lankinen to $4.5 million AAV</h2>
<p>The <a href="http://Canucksarmy.com">Vancouver Canucks</a> have made some interesting moves this season and this one certainly ranks up there, as the team announced they&#8217;ve extended 29-year-old goaltender Kevin Lankinen on a <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/vancouver-canucks-fans-react-kevin-lankinens-contract-extension">five-year deal, worth $22.5 million</a>.</p>
<p>The first two years of Lankinen&#8217;s new contract carries a full no-movement clause. Lankinen appeared in 35 games for the Canucks, posting a 19-9-7 record, along with a 2.52 goals against average, and .907 save percentage. The extension caught many by surprise, including Daily Faceoff&#8217;s Matt Larkin:</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Lankinen 5 x $4.5.</p>
<p>Did&#8230;did the Canucks make a typo on their offer? Mind-boggling contract. He&#39;s been a reliable insurance policy for Demko, but good gravy.</p>
<p>&mdash; Matt Larkin (@MLarkinHockey) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLarkinHockey/status/1892968499993051613?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Lankinen signed a one-year, $875,000 with the Canucks back in September. Vancouver has Thatcher Demko signed through next season at $5 million AAV, and also have 23-year-old Arturs Silovs waiting in the wings for a bigger opportunity.</p>
<h2>Quick hits as trade deadline approaches:</h2>
<ul>
<li>Friedman reported over the weekend that there&#8217;s been some chatter about the Schenn brothers looking to unite on the same team via trade. Brayden Schenn has been involved in trade rumours of late, and does hold a full no-trade clause. Luke Schenn is signed through next season at $2.75 million AAV for the Nashville Predators.</li>
<li>Boston Bruins defenceman Hampus Lindholm is &#8216;unlikely&#8217; to return this season according to GM Don Sweeney. The Bruins may be a team to watch as a &#8216;seller&#8217; leading up to the trade deadline.</li>
<li>Washington Capitals&#8217; Alex Ovechkin scored a hat-trick on Sunday against the <a href="http://Oilersnation.com">Edmonton Oilers</a>, and moves within 13 goals of Wayne Gretzky&#8217;s all-time goal record.</li>
<li>Colorado Avalanche defenceman Cale Makar became the third-youngest defenceman to reach 400 points. Makar reached the feat in game 374, trailing just Bobby Orr and Paul Coffey for the least amount of games in history.</li>
<li>San Jose Sharks forward Nico Sturm is a pending unrestricted free agent and feels <a href="https://x.com/SharkCityHockey/status/1893420753988788369">something is going to get done</a> before the trade deadline.</li>
<li>Montreal Canadiens&#8217; Jake Evans and David Savard are two players to watch on the trade market, while Juraj Slafkovsky called his season <a href="https://www.thescore.com/nhl/news/3224747/habs-slafkovsky-seeks-consistency-my-season-is-an-embarrassment">&#8217;embarrassing&#8217;</a> to this point as he looks for more consistent production.</li>
<li>Matthew Tkachuk hasn&#8217;t returned to action since the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament and there&#8217;s some worry he could miss significant time with a lower-body injury.</li>
<li>New York Islanders forward Brock Nelson was named a top trade target from <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/2-weeks-before-nhl-trade-deadline-carolina-hurricanes-mikko-rantanen-trade-targets-board">Daily Faceoff&#8217;s Frank Seravalli</a>, and could make some sense for the Winnipeg Jets.</li>
<li>Seattle Kraken forward Brandon Tanev followed Nelson on Seravalli&#8217;s list and could be a target of the Maple Leafs.
<div>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@daily_faceoff"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-139755" src="https://i0.wp.com/publish.canucksarmy.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2099/08/TradeDeadline-2025_programmatic_Article-727x404-2.png?resize=728%2C405&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="728" height="405" /></a></p>
<p>Get ready, hockey fans! The <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@daily_faceoff">Daily Faceoff Deadline</a> is happening on March 7th from 11 AM to 4 PM Eastern, and you won’t want to miss it. We’ll be LIVE, breaking down every trade and big move as it happens, with instant reactions and expert analysis from the Daily Faceoff crew. Plus, we&#8217;ve got special guests lined up throughout the show, offering exclusive insights from some of the biggest names in the game. From blockbuster trades to surprise moves, we’re covering it all. Tune in to the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@daily_faceoff">Daily Faceoff YouTube channel</a> and follow Daily Faceoff socials on March 7th to catch all the action!</p>
</div>
</li>
</ul>


Carolina Hurricanes forward Mikko Rantanen.

NHL hockey is back, as the league returned to action last weekend, <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/7-takeaways-from-canada-usa-mcdavid-gets-iconic-moment-marner-outstanding-playmaker">fresh off a great 4 Nations Face-Off event</a>. The two-week tournament captivated audiences all over the world, and kudos to the players for buying in.

The NHL didn't waste anytime jumping right back into action with 24 games combined Saturday and Sunday. The action on the ice is one thing, but there's lots going on off the ice as well. The trade deadline is set for March 7, and with less than two weeks for general managers to complete deals, it should be a busy week ahead.

Here's the latest buzz from around the NHL:
<h2>Rantanen asks for more time to review Hurricanes' offer</h2>
Mikko Rantanen was blindsided by the trade from the Colorado Avalanche, and while he's on a contending team with the Carolina Hurricanes, that hasn't completely sold him to this point. <a href="https://x.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1893487395439284344">Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman</a> reports that Rantanen has been offered a nine-digit long-term extension from the Hurricanes, but instead of signing on the dotted line just a couple of weeks after landing in Carolina, he's asked for more time to review the offer.

The Hurricanes are expected to listen to trade offers on Rantanen without an extension completed before next Friday's deadline. Hurricanes GM Eric Tulsky would hate to lose Rantanen for nothing in the summer if ends up walking, so it will be very interesting to follow what the Hurricanes decide to do should Rantanen remain unsigned.

Rantanen has appeared in seven games with Carolina, scoring once and adding two assists. He's averaging 20:10 of ice-time per game so far with the 'Canes, 2:19 less than he was seeing with the Avs earlier in the year.

The interesting tidbit about any Rantanen trade is his contract. The Chicago Blackhawks were involved in the initial trade and retained 50% of the remainder of his contract. The Hurricanes would be dealing the talented winger with just a $4.62 million cap hit, allowing for more teams to get involved before the deadline. Carolina holds Stanley Cup aspirations this season, so look for Tulsky to acquire proven top-six talent if he winds up flipping Rantanen.
<h2>Seth Jones prefers trade to contender</h2>
According to <a href="https://x.com/BenPopeCST/status/1893699842951770347">Ben Pope of The Chicago Sun-Times</a>, Seth Jones has approached Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson about the possibility of a trade to a contending team. Jones feels a change of scenery is something that would bode well for his game, as he's not interested in sticking around for a long rebuild.

Jones is in the fifth year of an eight-year, $9.50 million AAV contract and holds a full no-movement clause. Entering <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/knee-jerk-reaction-robertson-domi-lead-maple-leafs-over-blackhawks">Sunday's matchup with the Maple Leafs</a>, the 30-year-old right-handed defenceman had registered 26 points in 39 games for the Blackhawks this season.

Jones admitted he understands his contract will be hard to move. Davidson as mentioned, is retaining half of Rantanen's salary and $2 million of Jake McCabe's salary for the rest of this season. The Blackhawks don't have any other retention on the books.

It's likely the Blackhawks want NHL talent in return and not a trade package full of draft picks and prospects. They'll have a lottery pick as it is considering where they sit in the standings, and Davidson would like to expedite the rebuild as much as possible for the 2025-26 season.

As far as potential teams, the Maple Leafs aren't a likely destination, even with Jones at $4.75 million. The Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers and Columbus Blue Jackets seem like potential landing spots.
<h2>Canucks sign Kevin Lankinen to $4.5 million AAV</h2>
The <a href="http://Canucksarmy.com">Vancouver Canucks</a> have made some interesting moves this season and this one certainly ranks up there, as the team announced they've extended 29-year-old goaltender Kevin Lankinen on a <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/vancouver-canucks-fans-react-kevin-lankinens-contract-extension">five-year deal, worth $22.5 million</a>.

The first two years of Lankinen's new contract carries a full no-movement clause. Lankinen appeared in 35 games for the Canucks, posting a 19-9-7 record, along with a 2.52 goals against average, and .907 save percentage. The extension caught many by surprise, including Daily Faceoff's Matt Larkin:

https://twitter.com/MLarkinHockey/status/1892968499993051613?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Lankinen signed a one-year, $875,000 with the Canucks back in September. Vancouver has Thatcher Demko signed through next season at $5 million AAV, and also have 23-year-old Arturs Silovs waiting in the wings for a bigger opportunity.
<h2>Quick hits as trade deadline approaches:</h2>
<ul>
 	<li>Friedman reported over the weekend that there's been some chatter about the Schenn brothers looking to unite on the same team via trade. Brayden Schenn has been involved in trade rumours of late, and does hold a full no-trade clause. Luke Schenn is signed through next season at $2.75 million AAV for the Nashville Predators.</li>
 	<li>Boston Bruins defenceman Hampus Lindholm is 'unlikely' to return this season according to GM Don Sweeney. The Bruins may be a team to watch as a 'seller' leading up to the trade deadline.</li>
 	<li>Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin scored a hat-trick on Sunday against the <a href="http://Oilersnation.com">Edmonton Oilers</a>, and moves within 13 goals of Wayne Gretzky's all-time goal record.</li>
 	<li>Colorado Avalanche defenceman Cale Makar became the third-youngest defenceman to reach 400 points. Makar reached the feat in game 374, trailing just Bobby Orr and Paul Coffey for the least amount of games in history.</li>
 	<li>San Jose Sharks forward Nico Sturm is a pending unrestricted free agent and feels <a href="https://x.com/SharkCityHockey/status/1893420753988788369">something is going to get done</a> before the trade deadline.</li>
 	<li>Montreal Canadiens' Jake Evans and David Savard are two players to watch on the trade market, while Juraj Slafkovsky called his season <a href="https://www.thescore.com/nhl/news/3224747/habs-slafkovsky-seeks-consistency-my-season-is-an-embarrassment">'embarrassing'</a> to this point as he looks for more consistent production.</li>
 	<li>Matthew Tkachuk hasn't returned to action since the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament and there's some worry he could miss significant time with a lower-body injury.</li>
 	<li>New York Islanders forward Brock Nelson was named a top trade target from <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/2-weeks-before-nhl-trade-deadline-carolina-hurricanes-mikko-rantanen-trade-targets-board">Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli</a>, and could make some sense for the Winnipeg Jets.</li>
 	<li>Seattle Kraken forward Brandon Tanev followed Nelson on Seravalli's list and could be a target of the Maple Leafs.
<div>

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@daily_faceoff"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-139755" src="https://publish.canucksarmy.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2099/08/TradeDeadline-2025_programmatic_Article-727x404-2.png" alt="" width="728" height="405" /></a>

Get ready, hockey fans! The <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@daily_faceoff">Daily Faceoff Deadline</a> is happening on March 7th from 11 AM to 4 PM Eastern, and you won’t want to miss it. We’ll be LIVE, breaking down every trade and big move as it happens, with instant reactions and expert analysis from the Daily Faceoff crew. Plus, we've got special guests lined up throughout the show, offering exclusive insights from some of the biggest names in the game. From blockbuster trades to surprise moves, we’re covering it all. Tune in to the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@daily_faceoff">Daily Faceoff YouTube channel</a> and follow Daily Faceoff socials on March 7th to catch all the action!

</div></li>
</ul>

Around the NHL: Hurricanes may flip Rantanen, Blackhawks’ Jones prefers trade to contender, Canucks extend Lankinen for $22.5M

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