By Getting Rantanen, New Hurricanes Cowboy Eric Tulsky Pulls Off A Big 'Ole NHL Blockbuster

The Carolina Hurricanes' rookie GM knew his team needed a game-breaker who could finish, so he went out and got the best Finnish finisher in the NHL, says Ken Campbell.

Well, isn't this Mikko Rantanen trade a lovely way to spice up the dog days of the NHL season?

Thank you, Eric Tulsky. Thank you, Chris MacFarland. Thank you, Kyle Davidson. The GMs of the Carolina Hurricanes, Colorado Avalanche and Chicago Blackhawks proved with a massive three-team deal on Friday that you don't have to be part of the Old Boys' Club to get things done.

Probably most impressive - pending what MacFarland might have up his sleeve - is Tulsky, who grabbed the torch right from his former boss, Don Waddell, and swung for the fences. He officially became a Cowboy GM with the move, and he deserves credit for having the stones to make such a big deal in his first year on the job.

Of course, he's been around Carolina for a while now, and he knows the Hurricanes have lacked a playoff game-breaker forever. Waddell tried to rectify that by trading for Jake Guentzel last season, but it didn't work out. But that did not deter Tulsky from going out and getting what is undoubtedly the crown jewel of the NHL trade deadline six weeks in advance.

Will it bring a Stanley Cup to Carolina for the first time since 2007? Maybe. Maybe not. But you have to love the chutzpah. Let the craziness begin.

Here's more video trade reaction:

The Carolina Hurricanes' rookie GM knew his team needed a game-breaker who could finish, so he went out and got the best Finnish finisher in the NHL, says Ken Campbell.

(Don't see the video? Click here.)

Who do you think won the trade? Vote here.