As the third wheel in Friday’s blockbuster deal involving the Colorado Avalanche, Carolina Hurricanes, and superstar forward Mikko Rantanen, the Chicago Blackhawks played kingmaker, agreeing to take on half of Rantanen’s salary cap hit in exchange for a third-round draft choice.

Chicago Blackhawks forward Connor Bedard didn’t hold back his disappointment after learning Taylor Hall had been traded on Friday. The Hawks sent Hall to the Carolina Hurricanes as part of a blockbuster three-team deal in which they only landed a third-round pick in return for Hall. Chicago also retained 50% of Rantanen's salary in the deal.

The Hawks will receive a third-round draft pick, but the Hurricanes' acquisition of Mikko Rantanen from the Avalanche is the far bigger part of the trade Friday, per reports.

The Blackhawks failed in this trade and are the suckers of the deal by not getting nearly enough for trading Taylor Hall and retaining $4.625 million on Rantanen's contract. They retained no cap on Hall's $6 million cap hit,

While Mikko Rantanen stole the headlines, the Carolina Hurricanes acquired Taylor Hall on Friday too, who waived his no-trade clause to chase a Stanley Cup.

The first major domino has fallen more than a month before the March 7 trade deadline, with Mikko Rantanen and Taylor Hall going to the Hurricanes and Martin Necas heading to the Avalanche in a three-team blockbuster,

Colorado Avalanche star Mikko Rantanen was reportedly acquired by the Carolina Hurricanes in a three-team trade on Friday night. Chicago Blackhawks

The trade is a stunning midseason swap of point-per-game players in their primes, an anomaly in the NHL trade market in the salary-cap era.

Chicago Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson spoke to the media for his mid-season press conference on Monday morning. Chicago Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson spoke to the media on Monday morning. This is his mid-season press conference and it conveniently went down the week after he traded Taylor Hall away in a blockbuster deal.

After a busy seven days in the National Hockey League, the movement in ClutchPoints' NHL Power Rankings is significant in Week 17.

Magic guard Mac McClung will reportedly compete in the Slam Dunk Contest at NBA All-Star Weekend in San Francisco, California.