The Carolina Hurricanes were at the center of the trade deadline for a lot of the wrong reasons. The drama surrounding Mikko Rantanen generated plenty of headlines, but the team is starting to peak in spite of that turbulence.

The NHL trade deadline is Friday afternoon, and scuttlebutt around the league has centered on Rantanen and whether the Canes will re-sign him, trade him, or keep him and try to agree on a new contract.

For six weeks, the Carolina Hurricanes were the talk of the NHL. But not all of it was for the better. Ever since the blockbuster trade that brought Mikko Rantanen to Raleigh in January, the buzz was relentless with unrelenting waves of rumors,

The fallout from the Trade Deadline is starting to settle, revealing more about the Carolina Hurricanes attempt to flip star winger Mikko Rantanen. The Dallas Stars ultimately won the sweepstakes, landing Rantanen and an eight-year extension in exchange for top young forward Logan Stankoven,

The Carolina Hurricanes and Dallas Stars came close to a Mikko Rantanen trade in the early hours of Friday morning. The deal was entirely contingent on Rantanen signing an extension in Dallas, however.

That's how long Mikko Rantanen's time with the Carolina Hurricanes lasted. On Jan. 24, the Hurricanes acquired the star forward from the Colorado Avalanche, beginning what ended up being a wild trade season.