‘It’s gonna be weird’: Rantanen conflicted about potential playoff series vs. Avs
After his trade saga concluded with a move back to the Central and in the hands of the Dallas Stars, should the standings in the crowded division remain as they currently are, his new team and his former team are destined for a first-round playoff duel, in what could become an all-time playoff series.
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When you’re one of the top players in the NHL, getting traded is a tough pill to swallow. Having it happen twice in a matter of weeks and somehow ending up on the roster of a former rival? It’s almost unfathomable.
Such was the case for Finnish superstar Mikko Rantanen, whose absurd journey over the last month and a bit has somehow brought him on a collision course with his former friends, teammates and colleagues on the Colorado Avalanche.
After his trade saga concluded with a move back to the Central and into the hands of the Dallas Stars, should the standings in the crowded division remain as they currently are, his new team and his former team are destined for a first-round playoff duel in what could become an all-time series.
For fans, it’ll be one of the must-watch battles of the first round. But for Rantanen, it could be one rife with revenge — if he can only get past how bizarre the situation is.
“Yeah, it’s gonna be weird for sure, going back there,” Rantanen said about a potential series against the Avs. “I spent, you know, 10 years with the organization. A lot of good friends, all the staff, coaches, I know them very well.”
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In a move that came seemingly out of nowhere, Rantanen was shipped from Denver out to join up with the Carolina Hurricanes in one of the biggest blockbuster deals in NHL history.
However, his time in Raleigh came to an abrupt end on Friday, ahead of the league’s trade deadline, as he made his way to Dallas for a haul that included touted young forward Logan Stankoven.
“It happens quick, so I’m sure [it’s shocking] for the guys too,” Rantanen said about the sudden trade to Dallas. “Playing against them a lot, in the same division as Colorado and battling hard. They were enemies and now they’re teammates all of a sudden. So it’s different, but I’ve met the guys and they’re all good guys.”
The Stars and Avalanche have a shared history in recent years as two of the powerhouse squads in the Central division. They met in the playoffs as recently as last season, as the Stars took the upper hand with a 4-2 second-round win over their rivals.
They also met in the 2020 post-season, as Dallas downed Colorado in seven games in the second round en route to a Stanley Cup Final appearance.
Since Rantanen made his NHL debut in the 2015-16 season, the two Central teams are nearly inseparable, with the Stars only slightly edging out the Avalanche with an 18-15-2 record in the regular season. But what matters more than anything in the rivalry is post-season wins, and the Stars carry a heavier upper hand there.
But a new chapter to the duel may be set to take shape, with familiar faces suddenly becoming fearsome foes, and former rivals turning into trusted teammates.
“It happens, you know? At the end of the day, it’s a business. Things happen like this. It’s not the first time,” Rantanen said after his first practice with his new team, alongside his former rivals. “But the first time [I go back to Denver], it’s gonna be weird. Probably the second and third, too. But hopefully it gets easier.”
Rantanen will have plenty of time for it all to sink in after penning an eight-year contract extension in Dallas, but he’ll be hoping he can get over it sooner rather than later if the two sides do, in fact, meet come April.
