The Dallas Stars made a huge splash at the trade deadline, acquiring 28-year-old All-Star forward Mikko Rantanen from the Carolina Hurricanes.
In return, Dallas sent forward Logan Stankoven and multiple draft picks, including two first-rounders, to Carolina. Rantanen agreed to an eight-year, $12 million AAV contract extension with the Stars. He rejected similar offers to stay with Carolina and Colorado beyond the season. Stalemates with both his previous teams made him available to Dallas.
“He’s in his prime — one of the top forwards in the game. We think he’s a great fit for us,” Stars general manager Jim Nill told the media during a press conference shortly after the deadline had passed. “The connection with the Finns on our team and that, and we’ve watched him play against us for the last 6, 7, 8 years. Everybody knows how accomplished a player he is. It’s not very often when you’ve got a solid team that you have an opportunity to add a player like that.”
Dallas Stars Make Deadline Splash
Rumours of Rantanen to the Stars heated up on Thursday. During the “32 Thoughts” podcast’s trade deadline preview show, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman mentioned Dallas as a potential landing spot. He later clarified that his thoughts were purely speculation.
“There’s going to be teams jumping all over that, and I would think Dallas would be one of them,” Friedman said. “They’ve got a Finnish mafia, too, and they’ve got things to trade. You look at them and say, if Rantanen gets flipped, they would be a team that I would think can do it- both in terms of cap space and what they have in their organization.”
Turns out Friedman was spot on. Nill disclosed that Dallas had monitored Rantanen’s situation for weeks since it became clear he wasn’t staying in Carolina. And Friday, the Stars added to their “Finnish Mafia” with one of the most skillful players in the NHL. Rantanen is another bona fide goal-scorer, with five 30-goal seasons and three 40-goal seasons in his career.
How the Dallas Stars’ Trade Deadline Moves Affect Lineup
Rantanen will slide onto Dallas’ first line alongside Jason Robertson and Roope Hintz. But that’s not the only move Dallas made to bolster its roster. The Stars also added veteran forward Mikael Granlund and defenceman Cody Ceci from the San Jose Sharks. Their veteran presence should help the team as it heads for the playoffs and hopes to compete.
When the Stars are fully healthy, they will have combinations of Tyler Seguin, Mason Marchment, and Matt Duchene and Jamie Benn, Wyatt Johnston, and Granlund right behind a lethal first line. It’d be tough to find a deeper first three lines in the NHL at the rate those nine players have produced throughout their careers.
Dallas also could have used defensive depth. Yet, Nill likes enough of what he has seen from the development of the guys on the roster. He specifically mentioned Thomas Harley and Lian Bichsel as players who have had a positive impact along the blueline.
Dallas Stars’ Future Impacts
The deals also helped the Stars sign Johnston to a five-year contract extension on Friday. Johnston was one of several young core pieces the Stars had up for contract extensions in the upcoming seasons. They solidify one of their cornerstones by getting it done now.
Johnston will still be 26 years old when his extension concludes, opening up the possibility of a second massive contract for the forward—whether in Dallas or elsewhere. Dallas will still have to do some cap maneuvering for the foreseeable future. Players are set to return from LTIR just before the playoffs. Others will demand new contracts as they prove their worth on the ice. Plus, some contracts with additional funds and bonuses are set to kick in.
However, the opportunity to add a superstar at the trade deadline was simply one you do not turn away. Jim Nill could have wrapped up a third consecutive General Manager of the Year Award with his most recent moves. At the very least, they have the Stars set up to win at all costs and compete for the Stanley Cup this season and, possibly, well beyond that.
Main photo by: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images
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