Los Angeles Kings Twitter was sent into a frenzy Sunday when SDPNsports' Drew Livingston referenced a comment from TSN's Darren Dreger about the Kings' interest in Carolina Hurricanes forward Mikko Rantanen.
Dreger threw water on the fires shortly after, clarifying that what he said was purely hypothetical, but it still got fans riled up.
Did you watch the segment? It’s a Quiz and it’s always hypothetical and often lighthearted and almost never based on Inside intel. IT’s been around for 15 plus years.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) March 3, 2025
It's also worth noting that RGMedia's Jimmy Murphy reported LA's interest in Rantanen Sunday morning. Having worked with Murphy in the past, I'm confident that if he's reporting it, there's some real truth there.
However, the Kings should avoid a potential Rantanen trade.
Rantanen is an elite NHL player with multiple 100+ point seasons and 40+ goal seasons. At face value he's exactly the kind of player LA needs, a true superstar to help put them over the top.
But as you dig deeper, Rantanen starts to make less sense. It isn't just about getting a superstar but the right superstar. Not a one-to-one comparison because Rantanen is a much better player, but it would remind me a bit of the Pierre-Luc Dubois trade, getting a player because he's good with no thought in how he'd fit into your system.
How would Rantanen fit into LA's system? Not great. For starters, he's a poor defensive player and we know that doesn't work well in LA. Jim Hiller would have an aneurysm watching him blow coverage and struggle to back check hard. He's also not a player who can grind games out despite his big body.
Former Maple Leaf's coach Jack Han on Twitter has a great thread describing Rantanen's shortcomings in Carolina so far that help explain why he could struggle in LA.
The problems I see with CAR96 Rantanen are related to a disconnect between his build/reputation/actual playing style.
— Jack Han (@JhanHky) February 25, 2025
Big, strong guy who's actually surprisingly ineffective as F1 on the forecheck and easy to pin along the boards. Both are liabilities inside CAR's system. pic.twitter.com/eFrmd06eNF
Several of the problems Han highlights would cause issues in LA too.
There's also the contract issue. Rantanen reportedly wants a contract in the $12-14 million range, which is a massive deal even in the rising cap world.
He's a great player but this isn't the right player, and it isn't the right time, for the Kings to make a trade for him. There are too many question marks relative to the cost of acquiring and re-signing him. I'd also still consider it unlikely the Hurricanes trade Rantanen without a massive overpay. It would be a panic trade to rival all panic trades and I don't see it happening.
It reminds me of the discourse around Elias Lindholm after his trade to the Vancouver Canucks last season, it feels very unlikely we see Rantanen moved. Of course, it felt pretty unlikely he was moved out of Colorado before it happened too.
Regardless, if he is traded a second time this season, LA should avoid a potential deal for him.