When the Carolina Hurricanes acquired Mikko Rantanen, they seemed determined to go all-in on the 2024-25 NHL season no matter the cost. They were willing to part with Martin Necas and Jack Drury along with other draft capital to acquire Rantanen knowing he could depart in free agency after the year even after losing Jake Guentzel in an identical scenario last offseason.
Well, as it turns out, the Hurricanes were not willing to take that risk, as after Rantanen refused to ink an extension ahead of Friday's NHL trade deadline, they shifted their attention towards trading him.
The Dallas Stars loomed as a very realistic suitor early Friday morning and even came to terms on an agreement with Carolina to acquire the star forward, but a deal was contingent on an extension. The Stars were offering an eight-year, $96 million extension Rantanen's way, but the 28-year-old wanted more, stalling the negotiations.
Hours later, Rantanen and the Stars were closing in on an extension of those exact parameters, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.
With an extension all but in place, the deal is now becoming official. ESPN's Emily Kaplan came through with the details that will send Rantanen to the Stars.
Mikko Rantanen to the Stars with an 8 year extension in place, sources told ESPN. In return, Canes getting two first round picks, two third round picks, and Logan Stankoven.
— Emily Kaplan (@emilymkaplan) March 7, 2025
NHL Trade Grades: Who won the Hurricanes-Stars trade for Mikko Rantanen?
At 41-19-2, the Stars have 84 points, the second-most in the Western Conference and the third-most in the NHL. They were already legitimate Stanley Cup contenders, and now, they might be the favorites.
Rantanen had a rough go of it in his brief 13-game stint in Carolina, but he has 27 goals and 70 points overall this season. He has as many as 55 goals and 105 points in a single season. He's a superstar, and arguably the best player now on a loaded Stars roster.
Sure, the Stars gave up a good amount to get him, but this deal is a no-brainer for them. Stankoven is a promising 22-year-old, but the Stars would hope he becomes a fraction of the player Rantanen is right now. Replacing him with Rantanen is an easy decision to make. Yes, they gave up a pair of first-rounders as well, but the Stars should be formidable for many years to come, and they got this deal done with a Rantanen extension.
Again, the Stars were Stanley Cup contenders without Rantanen, and might now be the favorites with him. Not only did they get him, but they got him on an extension that could age beautifully with the cap going up. The Stars could not have done much better.
The Stars got an excellent deal, but that does not mean that the Hurricanes' return isn't solid. Stankoven has a good amount of potential, is only 22 years old, and is under team control for five more seasons. He isn't nearly as good as Rantanen or Martin Necas now, but is considerably younger, cheaper, and will be around longer. Getting him, two firsts, and two thirds is not bad at all.
With that being said, though, it's hard not to be a bit frustrated about how this all unfolded if you're a Carolina fan. The Hurricanes took a big risk, trading a star in Necas to acquire a superstar in Rantanen hoping to win right now. Going from that to acquiring a player not even remotely as good as Necas right now is frustrating when the Hurricanes are among the best teams record-wise in the NHL.
The Stars are clear-cut winners in this deal getting Rantanen fully locked in on an extension and not even having to part with a player like Wyatt Johnston to get the deal done. The Hurricanes did well also value-wise, but their odds for this season took a massive hit.