{"id":32438,"date":"2025-05-15T13:51:13","date_gmt":"2025-05-15T13:51:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/32438\/"},"modified":"2025-05-15T13:51:13","modified_gmt":"2025-05-15T13:51:13","slug":"top-trade-deadline-pickups-driving-2025-stanley-cup-runs-nhl-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/32438\/","title":{"rendered":"Top trade deadline pickups driving 2025 Stanley Cup runs | NHL News"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"TopMikko Rantanen #96 of the Dallas Stars faces-off against the Winnipeg Jets (Credit: Getty Image) Mikko Rantanen has been unstoppable since joining the Dallas Stars. After a quiet start, the forward erupted with back-to-back hat tricks and now leads the league in playoff goals and points. His presence has transformed Dallas\u2019 offense, putting them on the cusp of the Western Conference Final. His performances mirror the most iconic trade deadline moves in NHL history.Rantanen arrived with championship experience. But even by his standards, this run has been special. His timing, strength, and scoring touch have made a direct impact on Dallas\u2019 success. Whether it\u2019s creating space or finishing chances, he\u2019s been the most dangerous forward in the postseason.<\/p>\n

Jones and Marchand anchoring Panthers\u2019 success<\/p>\n

Top 10 NHL Saves from Week 3 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs<\/p>\n

Florida has been a tough team to play against, thanks in part to Seth Jones. With Aaron Ekblad suspended. Jones stepped up to become the Panthers\u2019 go-to blueliner, as his minutes have increased, and he\u2019s delivered both defensively and offensively, as he\u2019s also scored key goals, including a game-winner in Round 1.Another huge boost for Florida has been Brad Marchand. A surprising late-season pickup, Marchand has blended perfectly into the team\u2019s identity. His scoring has been timely, and he\u2019s added a playoff edge that elevates Florida\u2019s forward group. The Panthers are deep, but Marchand’s leadership and production have helped define their postseason push.<\/p>\n

Dallas depth built through trades<\/p>\n

\"Mikko<\/p>\n

Mikko Rantanen #96 of the Dallas Stars faces-off against the Winnipeg Jets (Credit: Getty Image)<\/p>\n

Beyond Rantanen, Dallas has relied on other trade additions to get through tough stretches. Cody Ceci stepped in during Miro Heiskanen\u2019s injury and logged big minutes. His physical play and reliability made a noticeable difference in Round 1. Mikael Granlund. After a quiet start, exploded with a hat trick in Game 4 against Winnipeg, as his experience and versatility have added balance to the Stars\u2019 forward group.These contributions have helped Dallas control matchups and manage injuries. Every playoff team needs unexpected heroes, and Dallas found theirs through smart deadline moves.<\/p>\n

Carolina\u2019s balance improved by new faces<\/p>\n

Carolina has also benefited from bold trade decisions. Taylor Hall, once a top pick, is now playing an important secondary scoring role. His speed and finishing have given the Hurricanes a boost when they\u2019ve needed offense from outside the top line. Logan Stankoven, acquired in the Rantanen trade, has brought energy and goals. His playoff experience from last year with Dallas has translated well in a deeper Carolina lineup.Both Hall and Stankoven have added depth scoring, which is crucial for teams aiming to go deep. Their chemistry with existing players has been a bonus for a Carolina team built to last in the postseason.Read more: Tiffany Killorn emerges as a modern NHL wife with quiet influence<\/a><\/p>\n

Playoff runs built at the deadline<\/p>\n

The 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs are proving once again that the trade deadline matters. Smart additions can do more than plug holes; they can push contenders over the top. Mikko Rantanen may go down as one of the best deadline pickups in recent memory. But other names on this list are also writing their own playoff legacies.
Get IPL 2025<\/a> match schedules<\/a>, squads<\/a>, points table<\/a>, and live scores for CSK<\/a>, MI<\/a>, RCB<\/a>, KKR<\/a>, SRH<\/a>, LSG<\/a>, DC<\/a>, GT<\/a>, PBKS<\/a>, and RR<\/a>. Check the latest IPL Orange Cap<\/a> and Purple Cap<\/a> standings.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Mikko Rantanen #96 of the Dallas Stars faces-off against the Winnipeg Jets (Credit: Getty Image) Mikko Rantanen has…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":32439,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[463,464],"tags":[3747,254,147,5,270,4,60,548,14,104,718],"class_list":{"0":"post-32438","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nhl-playoffs","8":"category-stanley-cup-playoffs","9":"tag-2025-stanley-cup","10":"tag-brad-marchand","11":"tag-dallas-stars","12":"tag-hockey","13":"tag-mikko-rantanen","14":"tag-nhl","15":"tag-nhl-playoffs","16":"tag-nhl-trade-deadline","17":"tag-stanley-cup","18":"tag-stanley-cup-playoffs","19":"tag-stanley-cup-playoffs-nhl"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nhl\/114512178910811466","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32438","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32438"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32438\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32439"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32438"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32438"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32438"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}