Hurricanes, Stars Complete Mikko Rantanen Trade Following Contract Hiccups
Mikko Rantanen is indeed headed to the Dallas Stars in a blockbuster deadline deal from the Carolina Hurricanes, according to multiple reports.
Both sides had reportedly agreed to the framework of a trade during the wee hours of Friday morning, with the Stars receiving permission to negotiate a long-term deal with Rantanen – a pending unrestricted free agent. But, as hockey fans awoke hours later, the trade appeared to have stalled due to a gap in contract talks.
However, those issues now seem to be resolved, as multiple reports indicate the 28-year-old forward is set to join the Stars once the deal becomes official.
According to DailyFaceoff’s Frank Seravalli, Rantanen will head to Dallas in exchange for forward Logan Stankoven and a pair of first and third-round picks, both in 2026 and ‘27.
As part of the deal, Rantanen has agreed to an eight-year, $96-million contract with the Stars, featuring a $12 million cap hit per season and a full no-move clause. He’s in the final season of a six-year, $55.5 million deal originally signed with the Colorado Avalanche.
Carolina struck a massive three-team deal for Rantanen in late January, sending forwards Martin Necas and Jack Drury to Colorado, along with a 2025 second-round pick and a 2026 fourth-rounder.
The Hurricanes also received unsigned prospect Nils Juntorp from the Avalanche and forward Taylor Hall from the Chicago Blackhawks, who was sent a third-round selection in ‘25 and retained 50 percent of Rantanen’s $9.25 million cap hit.
After acquiring the Finnish skater, Carolina made several attempts to extend the All-Star forward and reportedly offered him as much as $12.5 million per season. But, those efforts ultimately proved unsuccessful, as he was unwilling to commit long-term before Friday’s 3 p.m. ET trade deadline.
Thus, Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky made the difficult decision to canvas the market for the best possible offer involving Rantanen, who now rejoins the Central Division with one of the West’s top playoff contenders.
In the end, the 6-foot-4 forward’s tenure in Carolina lasted just 13 games, consisting of a measly two goals and six points. That’s far below the standard he set with Colorado, where he potted 25 goals and 64 points across 49 contests earlier this season.
The five-time 30-goal scorer is expected to skate alongside Jason Robertson and Roope Hintz on Dallas’ top line, likely crafting one of the most potent trios in the sport. He should also add a major boost to his newest club’s power play, as he’s netted 52 markers since 2021-22 – sitting amongst the league’s top 10 during that span.
To maximize cap space, the Stars placed injured defenceman Miro Heiskanen on long-term injured reserve prior to the Rantanen trade, according to PuckPedia. In doing so, they increased their LTIR relief pool to approximately $14 million, with Tyler Seguin and Nils Lundkvist also on the mend.
Additionally, Dallas also took care of important business with pending restricted free agent Wyatt Johnston, with multiple reports indicating he’s agreed to a five-year, $42-million extension with an $8.4 million cap hit.
It’s been a hectic 24 hours for the Stars and general manager Jim Nill, whose club enters Friday’s post-deadline slate six points back of the Winnipeg Jets for top spot in the Central. They currently sit second with 84 points and a 41-19-2 record.
As for the Hurricanes, they face the challenging task of moving forward without Rantanen, Necas and Drury in a Metropolitan Division led by the first-place Washington Capitals.
-Thomas Hall
Twitter: @Hall_Thomas_
Photo: Don Bigileone. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.