Mikko Rantanen explains why he decided to join Stars despite being wanted by many teams at trade deadline

Newly acquired Dallas Stars forward Mikko Rantanen explained his thought process in choosing Dallas as his next team, despite interest from several clubs prior to the NHL's trade deadline.

Mikko Rantanen met his new teammates Saturday morning, just hours before his Stars debut against the Oilers at Rogers Place. Before the game, Rantanen said:

"Well, I just know how good the team is, obviously. I like the whole setup they have. I’ve played against them a lot, and I knew some guys from before. Just a really good team overall.”

Rantanen was originally traded from Colorado to Carolina in January in a blockbuster deal. At the time, the Hurricanes believed they could re-sign the star winger.

"I think it was last week. Obviously, it was a shock, and I didn’t want it to happen at that time. But then I just had to look at all the options… But I had to look at it from all angles, and this was my decision," Rantanen explained.

The Finnish forward signed an 8-year, $96 million contract with Dallas after being traded again by Carolina on deadline day. He is expected to slot in on the Stars' top line alongside Jason Robertson and Roope Hintz.

"Yeah, I think we’re three good players, so hopefully, we can get on the same page. I just have to talk to them as much as I can and try to get the chemistry going as quickly as possible," said Rantanen on joining Robertson and Hintz on Dallas' first line.

For Rantanen, Dallas sent Carolina Logan Stankoven, conditional first-round picks in 2026 and 2028, plus third-round picks in 2026 and 2027.

Mikko Rantanen and Matt Duchene becoming teammates again

Mikko Rantanen and Matt Duchene were teammates on the Colorado Avalanche from 2015-2018, but found themselves on opposing teams after Duchene was traded to the Ottawa Senators in 2017.

That all changed on Friday, when Rantanen texted Duchene to let him know they were about to become teammates once again.

"He and I have kept in touch since we played together in Colorado," Duchene said (per NHL.com). "I texted him that morning and told him to keep me posted. He texted me about two hours before it broke and said it’s done."

“Even knowing a trade was in the works, Duchene was still surprised when it actually happened."It just seemed like it came out of nowhere."

Duchene went on to praise Mikko Rantanen as both a great player and a great person, emphasizing his championship experience with the Avalanche in 2022 will bring valuable experience to the locker room.