After a blockbuster trade late Friday, Mikko Rantanen and Taylor Hall made their Carolina Hurricanes debuts in the team’s overtime road loss at the New York Islanders.

The Carolina Hurricanes traded for Mikko Rantanen, and, in a perfect world, would love to keep him around long-term. If they're able to extend him, several of their current players won't be back in 2026.

After a whirlwind Friday night (Jan. 24) where the Carolina Hurricanes made their blockbuster trade, they set their sights on their next game. They were set to take on the New York Islanders at UBS Arena for a Metropolitan Division tilt in their 50th game of the 2024-25 season.

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.

Welcome to Scott Wheeler’s 2025 rankings of every NHL organization’s prospects. You can find the complete ranking and more information on the project and its criteria here, as we count down daily from No. 32 to No. 1. The series, which includes in-depth evaluations and insight from sources on nearly 500 prospects, runs from Jan. 8 to Feb. 7.

Welcome back to NHL Predictions here at Last Word on Hockey, where we preview and predict the upcoming slate of NHL games around the league each day. This article will preview and predict the matchup between the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Islanders.