The Dallas Stars have acquired Mikko Rantanen from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for Logan Stankoven, a 2026 first-round pick, a 2026 third-round pick, a 2027 third-round pick, and a 2028 first-round pick. Rantanen will sign an 8-year, $12 million average annual value (AAV) extension with a full no-move clause as part of the deal.
Breaking: The Dallas Stars have acquired Mikko Rantanen from the Carolina Hurricanes with an eight-year extension in place in exchange for Logan Stankoven and two first-round picks, sources told @emilymkaplan. pic.twitter.com/4yb1xhRagz
— ESPN (@espn) March 7, 2025
Dallas Load up to Contend in the Central
The Stars and Hurricanes had been negotiating a deal on Thursday, and many reports suggested they reached an agreement overnight. However, the deal was contingent on the Stars securing a contract extension, so the trade was not confirmed until Friday. He now joins a hot Stars team that has won its last four games and sits second in the Central Division, six points behind the Winnipeg Jets, who are in first with 90 points.
Related: THW’s 2025 Trade Deadline Tracker
The Stars already made a significant move in acquiring Mikael Grandlund and Cody Ceci from the San Jose Sharks earlier in the year when it was announced that Tyler Seguin would be placed on Long-Term Injured Reserve (LTIR). They further bolstered their top six with an elite winger who should pair nicely with Jason Robertson and Roope Hintz.
This move is followed by the Stars placing Miro Heiskanen on LTIR. With $14 million in cap space, the team now has the opportunity to make even more moves before the 3 p.m. EST deadline arrives. The Central Division has loaded up over the past 24 hours; it will be an exciting finish to the season. We will see how the playoffs will match up with all these teams going all-in on these trades.
Carolina Adjusts on the Fly
Rantanen was previously acquired by the Hurricanes from the Colorado Avalanche after he and the Avalanche could not agree on a contract extension. The Hurricanes initially brought Rantanen on board in hopes of securing the elite finishing talent they had desperately needed for their playoff runs. However, he struggled to make an impact, leading to a failure to reach an agreement for a longer-term stay.
Rantanen averaged over a point per game with the Avalanche this season, totaling 64 points in 49 games. However, his scoring dropped significantly after moving to Carolina, where he managed only six points in 13 games. Although he had a higher rate of shots on goal with Carolina compared to his time with the Avalanche, his shooting percentage plummeted to five percent in Carolina, down from 18.5 percent with Colorado.
Rather than keeping him as a rental, Carolina decided to move on from him. They pivot off him and bring in a young, talented forward and some draft capital. Stankoven was a second-round pick for the Stars in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft and has had a solid rookie season, scoring nine goals and 20 assists for 29 points in 59 games, and at only 22 years old, he can develop in the Hurricanes’ core. He combines relentless energy, fearlessness as a forechecker, and genuine top-six offensive potential. In Carolina, he will seamlessly integrate and could make an instant impact.
