Hurricanes’ Mikko Rantanen out of lineup due to lower-body injury

Carolina Hurricanes forward Mikko Rantanen is out of the lineup Saturday against Utah due to a lower-body injury and his status for the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament is now to be determined.

Rantanen was hit in the leg by a puck during Thursday’s 2-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild.

The 28-year-old has two points (one goal and one assist) in six games since he was acquired from the Colorado Avalanche in a three-team deal that also involved the Chicago Blackhawks.

He registered 64 points (25 goals and 39 assists) in 49 games with the Avalanche before the deal.

Rantanen topped the 100-point plateau during the previous two seasons.

It’s the final game for the Hurricanes before breaking for the best-on-best tournament.

The Nousiainen native was named one of the assistant captains for Finland, which begins play Thursday against the United States.

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