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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.

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

Mikko Rantanen dropped a very strong message to the Colorado Avalanche shortly after being traded in an NHL blockbuster move to the Carolina Hurricanes.

Here are three blockbuster Avalanche trade targets in the wake of the stunning Mikko Rantanen trade with the Hurricanes.

The Colorado Avalanche stunningly traded Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday night, and he was reportedly blindsided.

Despite being a fan favorite and a key part of the Avalanche's recent success, the salary-cap reality forced their hand.

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.

A new inside report has connected the Edmonton Oilers to signing Mikko Rantanen in free agency this season, and they may actually have the cap flexibility to make the deal without losing significant roster players.

The Blackhawks could expedite their painstaking rebuilding process and be significant players in free agency this summer.

Laughlin said that he had predicted that Rantanen, a UFA after this season, would either sign with the Anaheim Ducks or the Columbus Blue Jackets. That's right, your Columbus Blue Jackets.