BOSTON -- As Chris MacFarland wrapped up his remarks Saturday, as he explained the forces that had caused him to send forward Mikko Rantanen across the country from the Colorado Avalanche to the Carolina Hurricanes, a blockbuster trade that shook the franchise and fanbase, he uttered the words that were at the bottom of everything.

Appearing on "Frankly Speaking" on Jan. 18, 2024, MacFarland told Frank Seravalli that Landeskog was expected to miss 12–16 months, but the captain's absence has now stretched to over 20 months since he last appeared in a game.

The Colorado Avalanche are far from finished reshaping their roster following last week’s blockbuster trade that sent Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes. According to general manager Chris MacFarland,

There have been some significant “what ifs” in the aftermath of the Avalanche’s run to the Stanley Cup in 2022, but there’s a new one near the top of the list. What if Gabe Landeskog’s knee hadn’t failed him?

The Colorado Avalanche has traded Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes, according to multiple reports. Rantanen is in the final year of his contract and can be an unrestricted free agent in July. He leads the Avs with 25 goals and has 64 points, which was sixth in the NHL entering Friday night’s games.

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.

Makar scored again to give Colorado a 3-2 lead at 14:36 of the period with the Avs on the power play. Necas reversed the puck from the right side of the ice to the left, then MacKinnon set up Makar at the top of the zone for his 18th goal of the season.

Despite trading one of the NHL's scoring leaders and a franchise stalwart, MacFarland says the Avalanche are still "all-in."

The Colorado Avalanche should add Chicago Blackhawks forward Taylor Hall to the top-six ahead of the March 7 NHL Trade Deadline.

After the blockbuster trade, the Hurricanes are the favorites to come out of the East with a 12.7 percent chance of winning the Cup.

It resulted in a 10-game point streak that has salvaged their season and thrust the team right into the thick of the Eastern Conference wild-card race, but a 5-4 loss to the Avalanche on Sunday afternoon at Madison Square Garden halted the run and served as a reminder that resiliency will only take them so far.

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