"Oilers ain't hitting the SCF again", "Leafs are always the bridesmaids and never the brides": Social media reacts to Mikko Rantanen to Stars rumor

NHL insider Elliotte Friedman has dropped a bombshell regarding Carolina Hurricanes winger Mikko Rantanen. The Finnish winger is in the final season of a six-year, $55.5 million contract, and since being traded by the Colorado Avalanche to the Hurricanes back in January, his future with the club remains up in the air.

Teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs, LA Kings, and other Cup-contending franchises have shown interest. However, now the Dallas Stars have entered the talks, with Elliotte Friedman reporting that talks have intensified between the Stars and Hurricanes for Mikko Rantanen.

Rantanen is the biggest name in the market heading into Friday's trade deadline, and the news of him being linked to the Dallas Stars has created a lot of buzz among NHL fans.

Here's how fans on X (formerly Twitter) reacted. One tweeted:

That’s wild. Oilers ain’t hitting the SCF again.

Another chimed in:

"The @MapleLeafs are always the bridesmaids and never the bride it seems, kinda like the @BlueJays."

Here are some of the other top reactions on X:

"Avs Stars round 1 is gonna hit like crack," a third fan tweeted.

"If Dallas lands Rantanen just give them the cup," another said.

"Carolina went from Cup contender to might as well start a rebuild in like 3 weeks. Impressive," one humorously wrote.

"Stars vs Avalanche in the 1st round Rantanen vs his former team," another chimed in.

Mikko Rantanen is focused on winning games despite trade speculation

During an interview last week, Mikko Rantanen was asked about the speculation surrounding his future and potential contract negotiations with the Hurricanes, but he remained tight-lipped.

He stated that his main focus is on the team and winning games, deflecting any questions about contract talks or his future with the team.

“I just focus on this team and winning games,” he said. “That’s my only goal. I don’t think about all that other stuff, really. Just what happens on the ice.”

Mikko Rantanen has garnered six points through two goals and four assists in 12 games for the Hurricanes since his trade. With the Avalanche, he accumulated 64 points through 25 goals and 39 assists in 49 games. Overall, he has collected 70 points through 27 goals and 43 assists in 62 games.