Mikko Rantanen gets honest about signing $12M AAV extension with Stars instead of Hurricanes for $13.5M

Dallas Stars forward Mikko Rantanen opened up about his first impressions regarding his second move this season. Rantanen was traded in late January to the Carolina Hurricanes after contract extension talks had reportedly fallen apart in Colorado.

However, Rantanen and the Hurricanes were unable to hammer out an extension, prompting the Canes to move Rantanen for the second time in roughly six weeks. As the dust begins to settle on the trade, Mikko Rantanen shared his reasons for signing with Dallas, stating on TSN’s Trade Center Friday evening:

“I think, you know, just the fit in Dallas and, you know, I'm thinking about it a lot with my, you know, my camp and myself and everything. So, just the fit, I feel like you know, everywhere. You know, I think that was what the decision was."

Rantanen signed a $12 million AAV contract extension in Dallas after turning down a $13.5 million AAV deal in Carolina. While it may seem confusing to turn down more money from Carolina, Mikko Rantanen made it clear that the lack of a contract extension at the time of the trade to Carolina played a significant role:

“I had to look at all the options because there was no deal when the trade happened. So I was in a situation where, you know, I had to really think about my life for long periods of time, not only on ice, but almost also off the ice.”

The Dallas Stars will now have one of the best-scoring wingers in recent history on a team that’s already one of the top contenders in the Western Conference. Mikko Rantanen will likely line up on Dallas’ top line with fellow Finn Roope Hintz and sniper Jason Robertson.

Looking at Mikko Rantanen’s contract extension with the Dallas Stars

The trade between the Carolina Hurricanes and Dallas Stars involving Mikko Rantanen was subject to Rantanen agreeing to a contract extension prior to the trade’s finalization. Late Thursday, the Hurricanes and Stars had reportedly agreed on a deal. However, the deal was on hold until Rantanen’s camp and the Stars agreed on a new deal.

The Hurricanes granted the Stars permission to talk to Rantanen’s people ahead of the 3 pm EST deadline on Friday. In the end, Rantanen agreed to an eight-year $96 million deal. The $12 million AAV is slightly higher than the reported $11.75 million Colorado offered and well below the $13.5 million Carolina had put on the table.

In the end, it seems Dallas was a better fit for Rantanen as Texas has no income tax law. As such, Rantanen stands to save enough on his tax bill to prompt him to take less money to play for Dallas. Ultimately, Rantanen gets the contract he wanted and goes to a team that could likely face the Colorado Avalanche in this year’s playoffs.