Mikko Rantanen trade talks take surprise turn and the Red Wings are involved

Mikko Rantanen is a pending UFA who has yet to sign a contract extension with the Carolina Hurricanes.

He'd be acquired in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks which sent Taylor Hall to Carolina, and would retain half of his salary, which makes him an attractive option for teams against the cap ceiling.

This could be a situation where GM Steve Yzerman of the Detroit Red Wings interjects to make a trade deal for him.

Yzerman could use someone like Rantanen, to stay in the playoff hunt, and instead of just shopping around lock him down after the deal is done.

He should already be making phone calls to Carolina to see about the cost.

Or for all we know, he already has a deal in the works.

The last Mikko Rantanen trade was a complex deal, which included the Avalanche, Blackhawks, and the Canes.

It looks like the Canes won't win this one either.

Rantanen has been on fire the majority of the season, as he's scored 70 points (27 G, 43 A) in 61 games split between the Hurricanes and Avalanche.

At the moment he only makes $4.625 million AAV and could fit underneath the Red Wings cap space.

While all Steve Yzerman should be doing is selling him on Rantanen helping to push the team to the postseason and beyond.

Not to mention the deep prospect pool the Red Wings system has, and what he could do to help develop them, and give them an edge on winning culture.

He could start by helping them win a Stanley Cup and pushing them out of a wild card spot and into a legitimate playoff spot.

The only reasonable question to ask now is, how much?