After the blockbuster trade, the Hurricanes are the favorites to come out of the East with a 12.7 percent chance of winning the Cup.

There have been some significant “what ifs” in the aftermath of the Avalanche’s run to the Stanley Cup in 2022, but there’s a new one near the top of the list. What if Gabe Landeskog’s knee hadn’t failed him?

It’ll be hard to assess the impact of the Carolina Hurricanes’ acquisition of Mikko Rantanen for months, but a goal in his Lenovo Center debut doesn’t hurt.