Carolina unable to sign forward after acquiring him from Avalanche in January; gets Stankoven, picks
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It was an offer Mikko Rantanen and the Dallas Stars couldn’t refuse.
After weeks of uncertainly about his future NHL home, Rantanen was traded to Dallas by the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday, and then signed an eight-year, $96 million contract.
The trade and new contract capped a wild six-week stretch for the 28-year-old forward, who had only played for the Colorado Avalanche before he was traded to the Hurricanes in a three-team deal on Jan. 24.
He was eligible to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, which is why the Avalanche dealt him.
“It’s been crazy,” Rantanen told TSN. “It was the first time I’ve been traded from Colorado and it happened quick, everything, and all of a sudden you’re on a new team for the first time and then this situation comes with the contract and stuff, so it’s been something that I never thought I would fully experience, but here we are.”
Rantanen played 13 games for the Hurricanes, who also felt they would not be able to sign him to a long-term deal, prompting the trade-and-sign with Dallas on Friday.
“The chance to acquire and extend one of the best forwards in the NHL is an opportunity that we couldn’t pass up,” Stars general manager Jim Nill said. “He demonstrates exceptional skill and vision on the ice and his size (6-foot-4, 215 pounds), consistency and versatility make him one of the most complete players in the League.
“Mikko’s experience in the postseason is an invaluable asset to our team as we work toward the goal of winning a Stanley Cup.”
Jim Nill on the Stars trading for Mikko Rantanen
In return for Rantanen, the Hurricanes received forward Logan Stankoven, a conditional first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, a conditional first-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft, a third-round pick in the 2026 draft and a third-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft.
Rantanen was in the final season of a six-year, $55.5 million contract ($9.25 million AAV) he signed on Sept. 28, 2019, with the Avalanche, who selected him in the first round (No. 10) in the 2015 NHL Draft.
“I think at the time, obviously I had to look at all the options because there was no deal when the trade (to Carolina) happened,” he said. “It was kind of a situation where I had to think about my life for a long period of time, not only on the ice but also off the ice.
“Obviously, it’s a really good team in Carolina, the last couple of years they’ve been close to the Stanley Cup. But I think the fit in Dallas and I’ve been thinking a lot about it with myself and my camp and (my girlfriend) Susanna and everything. Just the fit I feel like everywhere, I think that was what the decision was.”
Rantanen entered Friday tied for 11th in the NHL this season with 70 points (27 goals, 43 assists) in 62 games, but he only had six points (two goals, four assists) in 13 games with Carolina, including no points in a 3-2 win against the Boston Bruins on Thursday.
NHL Tonight reacts to the Mikko Rantanen trade
The Stars (41-19-2) are second in the Central Division with 84 points, six behind the NHL-best Winnipeg Jets having played one less game.
The Hurricanes (37-22-4) are in second place in the Metropolitan Division, 10 points behind the Washington Capitals.
Rantanen, who played for Finland in the 4 Nations Face-Off, becomes the latest Finn to play for Dallas, joining forwards Mikael Granlund and Roope Hintz, and defensemen Miro Heiskanen and Esa Lindell.
“It’s hard to single out one team, so I wouldn’t say it was just one team,” Rantanen said. “When you look around at your situation and you see what’s best for you, and that’s what I was kind of doing for a month or so and think about everything. But just the fit in Dallas and just to be a part of the group, it’s a great team and they have been successful the last couple of years, so hopefully I can jump in there and help the team.”
Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky said taking risks and being aggressive is what the Hurricanes are all about.
“If you only make moves when you’re 100 percent, you know exactly how it’s going to work out, you’re going to miss some opportunities to make the team better,” Tulsky said. “That’s not what we want to do. If the team was already winning Cup after Cup after Cup, maybe that would be a time to be conservative, but we haven’t gotten where we want to be yet. So, we need to keep taking chances and trying to push things forward.
“Ultimately, that means you’re taking some risks. When you’re bringing in a player like Mikko, the upside of having that work out long-term is worth that risk in my mind. Obviously, we didn’t want it to end with him being traded away; that wasn’t the goal, but that trade allowed us to bring in other pieces that will help us.”
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Rantanen has 687 points (289 goals, 398 assists) in 632 regular-season games with Colorado and Carolina, including 371 points (160 goals, 211 assists) in 299 games over the past four seasons, which ranks seventh in the NHL.
He also has 101 points (34 goals, 67 assists) in 81 Stanley Cup Playoff games, including 25 points (five goals, 20 assists) in 20 games in 2022, when he helped the Avalanche win the Cup for the first time since 2001.
Stankoven has 29 points (nine goals, 20 assists) in 59 games this season. The 22-year-old had 14 points (six goals, eight assists) in 24 regular-season games in 2023-24, and eight points (three goals, five assists) in 19 playoff games.
Stankoven, who was selected by Dallas in the second round (No. 47) of the 2021 NHL Draft, has one season remaining on his three-year, entry-level contract he signed with the Stars on Sept. 28, 2021.
Dallas has won four in a row and seven of its past eight. The Stars will look to take the next step after losing in six games to the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference Final last season. The Stars last reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2020, losing in six games to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Carolina has won three in a row and has its eyes set on a seventh straight playoff berth, having won at least one round in each of the past six postseasons.
If the 2026 first-round pick is in the top 10, the Stars would be able to convert the pick to an unprotected first-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft. The 2028 first-round pick carries the same conditions.
Nill said the Stars also signed forward Wyatt Johnston to a new contract on Friday. Terms were not released.
Johnston is in the final season of the three-year, entry-level contract he signed Sept. 28, 2021, and could have become a restricted free agent July 1.
The 21-year-old is third on the Stars with 59 points (23 goals, 36 assists) in 62 games. Selected in the first round (No. 23) of the 2021 NHL Draft, Johnston has 165 points (79 goals, 86 assists) in 226 regular-season games and 22 points (14 goals, eight assists) in 38 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
