Dallas Stars forward Mikko Rantanen opened up on Wednesday about being traded and the months he spent with the Carolina Hurricanes.
Rantanen joined the Stars through a trade after spending the first two months of the year with the Hurricanes, who acquired him in a separate blockbuster trade with the Colorado Avalanche.
This trade came as a shock to the 28-year-old forward, who spent nearly a decade with the Avalanche and said he was prepared to spend his entire career in Colorado.
After the trade was completed, Rantanen quickly signed an extension with the Stars, choosing to remain with the franchise on an eight-year contract worth $96 million, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
Rantanen has opened up about the trade and the difficult months he spent finding a team that would suit him best.
Rantanen explained that rumors spreading online about his time in Carolina are false, noting that he considered remaining with the franchise long-term before being traded to Dallas.
“I saw some things were said that I had a list of teams ready when I went [to Carolina], but that’s false,” he said, per NHL.com.
“Obviously, it was a big shock to leave Colorado, but I went [to Carolina] with an open mind and tried my best on the ice. When I put the jersey on there, I tried my best and just decided just a little bit before the Deadline that Carolina would probably get a better return for me if I would do a sign and trade; that it would be better for their team rather than me being a rental and going somewhere to play. So that was the decision.”
“I want to make it clear that I was open-minded in Carolina and really thought about staying there.”
Rantanen said he was open to staying with Carolina but also understood that his style of play would be a better fit with the Stars.
“They play puck possession, and I think there are similarities between Dallas and Colorado,” he said, per NHL.com.
“Like I’ve said many times, I tried my best in Carolina, but one of the reasons was for me to think where I really want to play hockey the next eight years and Dallas was a better fit on the ice. Better style of play for me that’s similar to Colorado, so I think that was one decision to be made.”
Rantanen has been thriving during his first few weeks in Dallas, racking up three points through two goals and one assist in just two games since the trade was completed.
This is a significant jump in production compared to his time in Carolina, when he scored only six points in 13 games for the Hurricanes.
The acquisition of Rantanen thrusts Dallas into the mix to compete for the Stanley Cup this season. The team currently sits three points ahead of the Vegas Golden Knights for second in the Western Conference.
Dallas is in the midst of a road trip and will now prepare to take on the Winnipeg Jets on Friday at 7 p.m.
The Stars will finish the road trip with a matchup against the Avalanche on Saturday at 2:30 p.m., which will be Rantanen’s first appearance against his former team since being traded in January.