Nathan MacKinnon breaks silence on Avalanche's shock decision to trade Mikko Rantanen

Nathan MacKinnon spoke for the first time about the trade that sent Mikko Rantanen away from the Colorado Avalanche. Coming off his team's early playoff exit, MacKinnon shared his honest thoughts on the surprising decision.

The Avalanche, who were expected to compete for the Stanley Cup, were knocked out in the first round by the Dallas Stars. MacKinnon, along with captain Sidney Crosby, joined Team Canada for the World Championships in Stockholm. Despite the playoff disappointment, MacKinnon was happy to play again.

When asked about Rantanen's trade, MacKinnon was unsure how to respond.

“That’s hard to say,” he said (via Ilta Sanomat). "That's hard to say. I can't really give an answer. I think both sides ... I don't know ... Of course I would like him to be on the team, but he's not. So, I don't really know what to say."

MacKinnon admitted he missed Rantanen and respected his talent, especially after Rantanen’s strong performance in the playoffs.

"Of course I miss Mikko. And he scored a hat trick against us in the sevens. Incredible player and a great friend of mine," MacKinnon added.

Rantanen has scored 11 points, including a hat trick, in his last three games. MacKinnon had no doubts about Rantanen’s skills.

“Great player. He did so much for our team, so it's no surprise that he dominated. He's played brilliantly,” he said.

John Lu warns Jets to sharpen defensive play to contain Mikko Rantanen

After the Dallas Stars' 3-2 win over Winnipeg in Game 1, NHL analyst John Lu warned the Jets about Mikko Rantanen, who scored a natural hat trick and has 14 points in his last four games.

Lu pointed out that Winnipeg struggled to defend against Rantanen, especially when he played with Dallas’s fourth line. He said the Jets need to improve their defensive coverage.

"The Jets are going to have to be sharper on their details when trying to make sure that they contain Mikko Rantanen," Lu said (1:51) on May 8 via TSN.

"Dallas has a very dominating top nine altogether, but Rantanen, and certainly he's, just like you said, He's absolutely got his playoff Mojo going right now."

Winnipeg, with home ice advantage, must focus on better matchups to stop Rantanen.

About the author

Ankit is an NHL journalist at Sportskeeda with over 3 years of experience in the writing industry. He has expertise in sports, product, and travel content writing. His interest in ice hockey was piqued after watching Sidney Crosby play and he has been passionately following the game since then. Ankit admires Crosby’s personality and hockey IQ, and when he crossed the 1,500 points tally, Ankit was among the biggest fans to celebrate the occasion.

An Edmonton Oilers fan because of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, Ankit also admires the Pittsburgh Penguins due to Crosby and the Colorado Avalanche for Nathan MacKinnon. He is also a fan of Wayne Gretzky and Bobby Orr.

Holding a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Language, Ankit believes his education has helped him develop a knack for presenting information in a precise and compelling manner. He only sources information from credible avenues and trusted people from his network for his articles.

When he is not watching or writing about the NHL, Ankit loves listening to music and reading books.

Know More

Wayne Gretzky’s wife Janet responds to critics questioning his loyalty to Canada, Bobby Orr's support following 4 Nations drama

Edited by Krutik Jain