Few players ever experienced a whirlwind of a season like Mikko Rantanen last year. Rantanen played for three different teams throughout the season, ending up on the Dallas Stars. He found his home over the next eight years after the biggest blockbuster trade in franchise history. Rantanen will now enter the extension year and experience his first full season as a Stars player. Hopes are high for him and his greater than one-point-per-game career pace. This superstar holds lots of pressure to deliver for the Stars, especially next season.
The Blockbuster Trade
Trade deadlines in the NHL are often riveting affairs. Fans glue their attention to social media and tv for any news of their teams making deals. Rumors started ramping up the night before, impeding the sleeping patterns of Stars fans. The deal materialized later on in the day. Jim Nill traded four high draft picks and Logan Stankoven to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for Rantanen. Nill played his cards intelligently, ensuring Rantanen signed a contract extension before committing that many pieces to the trade. That trade is working out well so far.
Rantanen Impact
The stars aligned once they discovered their first opponent in the playoffs. Rantanen spent many years on the Colorado Avalanche and he gets them as an opponent in his first playoff series with the Stars. Playing against your old team is one thing but he played on the Avalanche in the same season. Popping off in the playoffs is a good way to cement your stardom in the hearts of a fanbase. He recorded a hat trick in the 3rd period of Game 7 against the Avalanche, single-handedly completing the comeback in a destitute-looking game.
The Future
Rantanen is entering his first full season with the Stars. The pressure is now on him to deliver. His keeping up with his point-per-game pace is a welcome start. His $12 million per year contract makes him the only Stars player in history earning north of $10 million per season. Everyone expects him to keep his superstar status and cement his legacy on the team for a long time.
The Stars have high hopes for a superstar like Rantanen. It’s possible that he is the missing puzzle piece that can help secure the Stars their 2nd Stanley Cup in franchise history. 26 years is a long time to go without a title. Rantanen can help deliver with the championship window wide open for the Stars over the next several years.
Photo Credit: Daily Dallas Hockey @DallasStarsDDH
Tags: dallas stars jamie benn jim nill Mikko Rantanen nhl
Categorized:Stars