Mikko Rantanen (Jerome Miron-Imagn Images) [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/68c68b97-da19-411e-9b6e-ac8d2a8f1d1a.jpeg] Mikko Rantanen (Jerome Miron-Imagn Images) By Alex Scott, The Hockey News Intern The NHL trade deadline is a time for teams to load up on talent, restock the prospect cupboard or free up cap space for future moves. When players get traded, some find themselves on an exciting new team, preparing for a playoff push, while others find themselves suddenly out of contention. How motivated will Rantanen be to beat the his former Avalanche team in the first round? Here are a few players who saw their fortunes change significantly this year. UNLUCKY AT THE DEADLINE Poor Josh Norris moved to the Ottawa Senators [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/ottawa-senators] just as franchise legend Erik Karlsson departed – Norris was part of the package that the San Jose Sharks [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/san-jose-sharks] sent to acquire the star defenseman – and as Ottawa firmly entered a rebuild. In Norris’ first full season with the Sens in 2020-21, he played very well, finishing tied for second on the team in points and placing fourth in Calder Trophy voting. He followed that up with a sophomore effort that saw him score 35 goals in just 66 games, which was good enough to earn him an eight-year, $63.6-million contract extension, per puckpedia.com [https://puckpedia.com/player/joshua-norris]. Norris’ next two seasons were abbreviated due to separate shoulder injuries, which limited him to eight games in 2022-23 and 50 in 2023-24. The Sens missed the playoffs both years, extending their playoff drought to seven straight seasons. This season, things finally started to click for the Sens, and they found themselves firmly in playoff contention at the deadline, thanks in part to great seasons by Brady Tkachuk, Thomas Chabot and Tim Stutzle. The Sens then dealt Norris and teammate Jacob Bernard-Docker to Buffalo [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/buffalo-sabres] in exchange for Dylan Cozens, Dennis Gilbert and a second-round pick in the 2026 draft. Ottawa has since clinched a post-season spot, ending their playoff drought, while Buffalo’s drought has reached 14 seasons and counting. To make matters worse, Norris found himself injured again and has only played three games for the Sabres since being traded. LUCKY AT THE DEADLINE When Seth Jones got to Chicago [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks] in 2021, he immediately signed an eight-year, $76-million extension [https://puckpedia.com/player/seth-jones], one which was supposed to have him anchoring the Blackhawks’ defense as they emerged from a rebuild. Things didn’t exactly go according to plan, as the Blackhawks’ rebuild stalled and the team missed the playoffs in each of Jones’ first three seasons. This year, the team found itself well outside of contention once again, and Jones requested a trade to a more competitive team. Chicago obliged, trading Jones to the Florida Panthers [https://thehockeynews.com/news/ZR1a4olwNVby6QwWNhWk?backLinkUrl=%2Fbbs%2Fnews%2Fsearch%2Fposts%3Fq%3Dseth%2520jones%26sortBy%3DpublishTime%26range%3DallTime&backLinkLabel=Back%20to%20search%20results] along with a fourth-round pick in 2026 in exchange for goaltender Spencer Knight and a 2026 first-rounder. For Jones, this has meant playing almost 25 minutes a night for the reigning champs, while Chicago has found itself once again near the bottom of the league. UNCHANGED AT THE DEADLINE Mikko Rantanen has done a lap of the NHL this season and found himself almost right back where he started. The star winger won a Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/colorado-avalanche] in 2022 and scored over 100 points in each of the previous two seasons. This season, Rantanen and the Avs were unable to negotiate a long-term extension to keep him in town, and he was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes [https://thehockeynews.com/news/a4G28XkY5z0fFnEFu3dy?backLinkUrl=%2Fbbs%2Fnews%2Fsearch%2Fposts%3Fq%3Drantanen%26sortBy%3DpublishTime%26range%3DallTime&backLinkLabel=Back%20to%20search%20results] in a three-team deal with Chicago. Then, history repeated itself, as the Canes [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/carolina-hurricanes] also found themselves unable to re-sign their new star. Having given up several assets to acquire Rantanen, including fan-favorite Martin Necas, Carolina decided to recoup some of its investment by trading Rantanen to the Dallas Stars [https://thehockeynews.com/news/qlNs1V4b1eQZUtGBKhRA?backLinkUrl=%2Fbbs%2Fnews%2Fsearch%2Fposts%3Fq%3Drantanen%26sortBy%3DpublishTime%26range%3DallTime&backLinkLabel=Back%20to%20search%20results], after he’d played just 13 games in red and black. Now, Rantanen is back in the Central Division and is once again playing for a playoff contender. In fact, he is currently facing his former Avs teammates in the first round of the playoffs. And Rantanen can probably unpack his suitcase for good, as the Stars have given him the eight-year, $96-million contract [https://puckpedia.com/player/mikko-rantanen] he was looking for. 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