Mikko Rantanen is proving his value to the Dallas Stars after being acquired in a blockbuster trade, demonstrating why the team paid a steep price to bring him in. The Finnish forward has delivered back-to-back hat tricks—first in Game 7 to eliminate his former team, the Colorado Avalanche, and again in Game 1 against Winnipeg—leading the postseason with eight goals and 15 points.
Rantanen’s impact highlights the benefits of aggressive trade deadline moves across the NHL. Nearly every team in the second round of the playoffs is seeing returns on their recent acquisitions. Toronto is getting strong play from Brandon Carlo and Scott Laughton; Florida’s Brad Marchand and Seth Jones are delivering; Washington’s Anthony Beauvillier has contributed offensively; Edmonton’s Jake Walman and Trent Frederic have filled key roles; Winnipeg is benefiting from the physical presence of Brandon Tanev and Luke Schenn; and Carolina’s additions—Taylor Hall, Mark Jankowski, and Logan Stankoven—are also paying off.
Rantanen came to Dallas from Carolina in exchange for Logan Stankoven, two first-round picks, and a third-rounder. The Stars then locked him in with an eight-year, $96 million extension. Before this year’s playoffs, Rantanen had already built a reputation as a postseason performer with 101 points in 81 playoff games, including a key role in Colorado’s 2022 Stanley Cup run.
Carolina has not suffered from the trade either. Stankoven has three goals in the playoffs, Hall has notched three points, and Jankowski played a crucial role in their flawless penalty kill during the first round. Captain Jordan Staal praised the new players for helping to stabilize the team’s lineup.
Other teams also made strategic additions. Marchand is scoring at a point-per-game pace for Florida, while Jones has settled in quickly. Beauvillier, now with Washington, has added five points in six games, drawing on past playoff experience. Some contributions have been quieter but no less important—Carlo and Laughton are helping Toronto push to advance past the second round for the first time in over 20 years. Meanwhile, Winnipeg toughened its lineup with Schenn and Tanev, and the Oilers filled key gaps with Walman and Frederic after offseason departures.
Dallas made additional moves beyond Rantanen, bringing in Cody Ceci and Mikael Granlund in February. Head coach Peter DeBoer credited both for helping the Stars get through the first round, emphasizing the depth and stability they’ve added.
The playoff landscape is a reflection of how impactful mid-season trades can be, and whichever team wins the Stanley Cup in June will likely have their deadline moves to thank in part for their success.
