Mikko Rantanen had a multi-point night on Thursday, showing signs of life after joining the Carolina Hurricanes. However, his long-term future with the team remains uncertain.

Rantanen, who has back-to-back 100-point seasons and also played at that pace the two seasons prior, had just two points in six games with Carolina before the 4 Nations break, missing the last game due to injury. He had one assist on Saturday vs. Toronto.

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.

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 Carolina Hurricanes made a statement with their trade for Mikko Rantanen back in late January. The Hurricanes needed an elite goal scorer for the longest time before this move. Rantanen was a pending unrestricted free agent.

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.