Who Is Winning the Stankoven/Rantanen Trade?
Dallas Stars fans around the World rejoice as the Vegas Golden Knights fall short in the Stanley Cup Final.
The worst-case scenario for Stars fans is avoided as the Carolina Hurricanes hoist the Stanley Cup as champions in 2026.
Former Stars player Logan Stankoven is now a Stanley Cup Champion. This outcome is a happy one, as the former fan darling wins and the Avalanche/Golden Knights don’t. The talking points of how Stankoven went there will come up this season.
That trade has now swung in the Hurricanes’ favor, but both teams benefited from it. Mikko Rantanen now faces increased pressure.
The pressure is on for all Stars players as their multi-decade-long Stanley Cup drought is still very much alive.
The Hurricanes got what they needed, but now it’s the Stars’ turn.
Carolina Hurricanes
Many Stanley Cup champions must face adversity in their long playoff run. The Hurricanes did not. They never faced elimination after finishing with an astonishing 16-3 record. The Conn Smythe Trophy went to captain Jordan Staal. Logan Stankoven was in those conversations, leading the Hurricanes with 11 goals in 19 games. Several Stars fans picked the Hurricanes as their temporary backup team after a first-round knockout.
Carolina’s win turned out to be one of the better possible endings. Their winning surely beats the Golden Knights, Avalanche, or even the Wild winning. The Stankoven trade worked out fine for Carolina.
The Trade
Carolina will not use the Stars’ 1st round draft pick in this upcoming draft. Carolina traded it to the New York Rangers when they acquired K’Andre Miller. The Rangers will pick 26th with it. Stankoven proved himself to be a major piece of their playoff run, scoring multiple goals in every playoff round. In Game 6, he assisted on the second goal to Jackson Blake, all but securing the Stanley Cup. Some could consider Carolina currently winning the Rantanen trade, and you’d be right. Multiple sources are reporting that the Hurricanes turned down Jason Robertson for Mikko Rantanen, oh boy.
The Stars did not have the best of seasons, but Rantanen wasn’t the issue. His seven points in six playoff games, combined with 77 points in 64 regular-season games, prove he’s averaging over one point per game. Injuries and a lack of urgency ended the Stars’ season. Stankoven already proved his expertise on the ice deep into the playoffs. Now it’s Rantanen’s turn to take the Stars on a deep run.
The Stars
The Stanley Cup drought will reach 28 years next season. Urgency is the definition of next season. The Stars must make a run at the Stanley Cup. Rantanen joined the Stars with hopes of him becoming a major superstar in every game. The Avalanche and Wild look to extend their run in the Central Division next season, further complicating the Stars’ prospects. These year-after-year heartbreaking playoff exits are both disappointing and depressing. Rantanen is a Stars player for seven more years; that is the time frame where the Stars must win the Stanley Cup at least once.
This franchise has been on a path of many phases, like rebuilder, fringe playoff team, hopeful, and contender over the last 10 years. Their last phase is champion.
This playoff season also ended with the Stars as the “biggest losers.” They lost to the Wild, who lost to the Avalanche, then Vegas>Carolina. The Stars must advance past the first round next season, or their situation goes from desperate to futile.
Rantanen is averaging over one point per game during his tenure with the Stars. Next season is a big one for them. The Rantanen/Stankoven trade could possibly bring the Stanley Cup to both franchises. Carolina is reaping the massive benefits Stankoven brought them.
Stars fans are happy to see Stankoven lift the Stanley Cup. We’re getting pretty good at it. 28 years is a long time to watch other teams hoist it while waiting for your team to get the chance.
Every summer is a long one in the hockey world.
Jim Nill will have higher stakes as the Stars look to bounce back from their first-round exit.
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