A stunned Nathan MacKinnon tried to make sense of the Colorado Avalanche trading Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday night.

Rantanen has been an essential member of the Avalanche's core since arriving in 2015-16, having won the Stanley Cup in 2021-22. Widely regarded as one of the NHL's premier offensive talents, he stands among the league's top five scorers over the last five seasons.

By trading Mikko Rantanen last night, the Avalanche took a big gamble. The club chose not to pay to extend the contract of one of the best forwards in the NHL, and importantly, a key engine of their offense.

The University of Cincinnati hockey community is rallying around their own Friday night, with two lives being honored after two unexpected deaths. One, a Northern Kentucky mother of three, the other a 29-year-old man, just getting his life started. If you've played hockey, there are deeper lessons than what happens on the surface of the ice.

MacKinnon dished out two assists in Sunday's 5-4 win over the Rangers. MacKinnon saw success alongside new linemate Martin Necas and the two provided assists on Cale Makar's pair of first-period goals.

The surprising trade that saw the Colorado Avalanche trade star winger Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes has been met with shock and some level of despair within the Avs’ locker room. Rantanen has twice broken the 100-point mark during his 10 seasons in Colorado,

Colorado Avalanche captain Nathan MacKinnon spoke candidly about his feelings following the blockbuster trade that sent his longtime teammate Mikko Rantanen away from the only franchise he'd ever played for. "It's unfortunate," MacKinnon said, per DNVR Avalanche. “Losing a great friend, great teammate. I’m gonna miss him.

Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon couldn't hide his frustration when addressing the huge three-team trade involving historic teammate Mikko Rantanen.

After that game, Avalanche players finally had a chance to publicly react to the trade, and the team's best player, Nathan MacKinnon, had one of the stronger reactions.

For all his stick magic and more-than-point-a-game productivity, MacKinnon is hockey’s king of VO2 max. He leaves foes gasping for air in his wake. MacKinnon was on the ice for 23 minutes, 59 seconds against the Jets. He ranks 14th in the NHL for most playing time. Every other player in the top 20 is a defenseman.

However, their defensive play appeared somewhat unstable, as both of the Jets' regulation goals stemmed from lapses in coverage in front of the net. Despite the loss, Cale Makar expressed strong admiration for Nathan MacKinnon, who scored a goal during the game.

Will he re-sign in Carolina after this season -- and if not, where else? And what will other contenders do to keep pace ahead of the March 7 deadline?