It's not every day that you hear of NHL superstars being involved in wild rumors, but that's exactly what has happened with Avalanche star Mikko Rantanen. Mikko Rantanen has found himself at the center of media attention, but not for the best reasons as <a href='https://www.hockeylatest.com/nhl-team/toronto-maple-leafs/tnt-panel-propose-a-major-mock-trade-that-would-send-mitch-marner-to-the-colorado-avalanche-for-mikko-rantanen' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>a swirling online rumor has dragged him into the spotlight</a>. Colorado Avalanche forward Mikko Rantanen is also in the news for being one of several NHL stars playing out the final year of their contracts this season. Rantanen is finishing off a six-year, $55.5 million contract that carried an AAV of $9.25 million. He's in line to receive a substantial raise as he approaches free agency, with <a href='https://www.hockeylatest.com/nhl-team/colorado-avalanche/colorado-avalanche-reporter-reveals-a-major-update-on-mikko-rantanen-extension-talks' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>some estimates suggesting he could fetch as high as $14 million per year</a>. <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/Sportsnet/status/1876490468877623374'> </a></blockquote></div> The Avalanche have the cap space to make that kind of offer, but not everyone thinks Rantanen should be making more than Nathan MacKinnon's $12.6 million AAV. The more the March 7 trade deadline nears, the more speculation mounts whether the Avalanche risk waiting until summer to re-sign him or will go in another direction. If they lose him as an unrestricted free agent on July 1, they'll get nothing in return. Adding some more fuel to the trade rumors, Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports had Rantanen ranked 20th in his list of players who could be dealt prior to the deadline. «If the Avalanche does not consider themselves able to accommodate Rantanen's demands, they could therefore be inclined to get most of his value on the trade market instead of letting him slip away on July 1.» - Renaud Lavoie <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/TVASports/status/1876687882154590593'> </a></blockquote></div> Star winger <a href='https://www.nhl.com/avalanche/player/mikko-rantanen-8478420' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Rantanen</a> has stated he won't talk contract extensions until after the season, so it puts the Avalanche's front office in a very tough spot in the coming months. A Rantanen trade would send shockwaves around the NHL. The Finnish forward has been one of the most dominant players this season, with 24 goals and 58 points in 41 games. With the Avalanche currently sitting atop the first Wild Card spot in the Western Conference, a continued fall in their playoff chances could make a blockbuster trade involving Rantanen a reality.