Well, NHL fans, we made it through another hectic and crazy NHL trade deadline. It didn’t feel like it was going to be that way early in the day, but as the afternoon went on, it got intense for many fanbases. Not the least of which is the Dallas Stars.
In case you missed it somehow, the Stars traded Logan Stankoven, two first-round picks (2026 and 2028, both top-10 protected), and two third-round picks (2026 and 2027) to the Carolina Hurricanes for the much-coveted Mikko Rantanen. The Hockey Writers team did a great job at breaking down the trade from both sides, as they did for many of the trades on Friday, so make sure to check out their great work.
Related: THW’s 2025 Trade Deadline Tracker
In almost the same breath, the Stars re-signed budding star Wyatt Johnston to a five-year, $42 million contract extension. The 21-year-old was set to be a restricted free agent this summer.
For many teams, the trade deadline is about building their roster for a long and prosperous playoff push. Yes, acquiring Rantanen is a huge addition for the postseason. However, this trade, and the Johnston extension, had the future in mind, and that’s another part of today that won’t go unnoticed.
What the Stars Get in Rantanen
First, let’s look at what this means for the rest of this season. Rantanen is 11th in the NHL with 70 points and has 27 goals in 62 games this season. For his career, he has 289 goals and 687 points in 632 games. He is as consistent a goalscorer and point producer as there is, and adding him to an already prolific offense is as obvious a win as there is. From 2016-17 until last season, he recorded less than 84 points twice, and that was due to COVID-shortened seasons both times. In the last three seasons, he has recorded 92, 105, and 104 points.
The Stars have been two wins away from the Stanley Cup Final two years in a row now, so what he brings in the playoffs is perhaps more important, or at least, equally. In 81 career playoff games, Rantanen has 34 goals and 101 points and averages three shots per game. Considering goal-scoring was a big reason they flamed out in last year’s conference final, this is huge for the next kick at the can.
“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 of the trade. “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.”
Nill also commented on his playoff prowess. “Mikko’s experience in the postseason is an invaluable asset to our team as we work toward the goal of winning a Stanley Cup.”
In addition, the Stars’ depth has been very good all season long. There was a time when guys like Johnston and Jason Robertson weren’t pulling their weight, and guys like Evgenii Dadonov and Sam Steel stepped up and contributed. Now, everyone is in their proper place. If Roope Hintz and Matt Duchene are your top two centers, Johnston can be slotted at number three, with Jamie Benn on the wing. Not too shabby for a third line. Those two players can be higher than the third line, but having players like Oskar Back, Sam Steel, and Mavrik Bourque on the fourth line, not to mention Colin Blackwell and Brendan Smith out of the press box, makes for an incredibly deep roster.
There’s a human aspect to Rantanen’s landing in Dallas that I think cannot be overlooked. The Stars have been a Finnish hotbed for years now, dating back to 1984 when the then Minnesota North Stars drafted Kari Takko, and then in 1992 when they drafted Jere Lehtinen, whose number was retired in 2017. Nowadays, they have Hintz, Miro Heiskanen, Esa Lindell, and Arttu Hyry. Something like this can’t be the sole reason to join a franchise, of course, but it’s reasonable to think this had something to do with it.
Rantanen Signing was an “Easy Decision”
On Friday afternoon, Rantanen was a guest on TSN Trade Centre to talk about the trade and signing.
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. It was kind of a situation where I had to think about my life for a long period of time, not only on but also off the ice.
Obviously, it’s a really good team in Carolina, the last couple of year they’ve been close to the Stanley Cup. But I think the fit in Dallas and I’ve been thinking a lot about it 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.
I’ve played against Dallas a lot. I know they have a good team. I know the city well enough and everything there, and I’ve only heard good things about the organization and everything, so at the end of the day, it was easy. Easy decision at that point.
Johnston Signs Extension
Shortly after the Rantanen news broke, the Stars announced that the Toronto-born center was signed to an extension. Johnston is currently in the third year of his entry-level contract that was set to expire this summer.
Johnston has 79 goals and 165 points in 226 regular season games. This season, he has 23 goals and 59 points in 62 games, including 14 goals and 34 points since January 1st. In 38 playoff games, he has 14 goals and 22 points.
Friday’s Moves About Much More Than 2025 Playoff Run
On March 4, I wrote an article about my belief that the Stars did not need to sell future players, prospects, or picks to acquire a rental at the deadline. This wasn’t just a hunch. First, this team was very deep and capable of a long spring before Friday’s move was made. Second, many interviews and articles from Stars’ management and writers have suggested this team is much more focused on the future success of the team than a singular playoff run. The proof is in the pudding. In this case, the contracts.
First, the players with term. Hintz, the 28-year-old center, is signed until the 2030-31 season. Johnston is now signed until 2029-30. Twenty-four-year-old Back is signed until 2026-27. Tyler Seguin is signed until 2026-27, and Rantanen is now signed until 2032-33.
On defense, Heiskanen is signed until 2028-29, Lindell until 2029-30, and Ilya Lyubushkin until 2026-27. In net, star goaltender Jake Oettinger is signed until 2032-33 and backup Casey DeSmith is locked up until 2026-27.
Benn and Duchene are both free agents this summer, but the players and the team have expressed the desire to work out a way for both to stay. Robertson is signed until the end of next season, and the same is true for him.
We’re not going to go through every contract, but the point is evident: The majority of the Stars’ core is locked up for at least three seasons, and many of them into the 2030s. Trading for expiring contracts like Brock Nelson’s never made sense for this team. It’s deals like this one that Nill and company were waiting for, and with it, this Stanley Cup window is open for much longer.
