According to Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli, it looks like Carolina is leaning toward keeping Rantanen in tow through the end of the season whether or not he commits to signing a contract extension before the March 7 trade deadline.

Mikko Rantanen has gotten a lot of people talking at this time. The Carolina Hurricanes have made it clear they want to keep him in the fold, reportedly offering the star forward a lucrative contract offer during the 4 Nations Face-Off,

As Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman explained on an episode of the "32 Thoughts" podcast, if Rantanen is dealt again, an acquiring team could only take on a $2.3 million cap hit if the Hurricanes retain half of Rantanen's already-reduced salary.

Forgive me for being so blunt, but it’s my belief that the week-and-a-half leading up to the NHL’s Trade Deadline on March 7 is a franchise-defining stretch for the Carolina Hurricanes.