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.

It's been over a month since the Carolina Hurricanes acquired Mikko Rantanen from the Colorado Avalanche in a blockbuster three-team deal involving the Chicago Blackhawks. Nevertheless, it's rumored the 28-year-old right winger could be peddled before the March 7 NHL 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,

The Mikko Rantanen experiment hasn't worked with the Carolina Hurricanes, and he could be on the move again before the trade deadline.

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.