The Dallas Stars were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Minnesota Wild, but they had to watch one of their old friends win a Stanley Cup.
Logan Stankoven, the former Stars forward, just won his first Stanley Cup at 23 years old with the Canes. Last season before the trade deadline, the Stars got Mikko Rantanen, and in exchange, the Canes got a 2026 first-round pick (top-10 protected), 2028 first-round pick (top-10 protected), 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 third-round pick.
The Stars got something special in Rantanen and have already proven it by delivering a legendary performance in Game 7 against the Colorado Avalanche in last year's playoffs, scoring a hat trick to eliminate his former team. As for Stankoven, he's the perfect young piece to build with in Carolina, and it's already paying off.
Rantanen-Stankoven trade is still equal even after the Hurricanes' Stanley Cup win
Rantanen was the blockbuster trade addition that the Stars needed, and he may even be that "last piece" to win the Stanley Cup in the next few years. The Stars' window has been there since 2023, and general manager Jim Nill made the perfect splash at the right time.
Stankoven was a young player the Stars still miss, but they had to trade him (along with draft capital) to get a star like Rantanen. The Stars may feel at least some regret with Stankoven hoisting the Stanley Cup trophy, but if we're going to be honest, he is a piece of the Hurricanes, not "the piece."
Stankoven is on an eight-year, $48 million contract with the Canes and a valuable piece with Sebastian Aho, Taylor Hall, Jaccob Slavin and Andrei Svechnikov. But Rantanen is one of the main options with the Stars. This season, Rantanen scored 22 goals, 55 assists and 77 points in 64 regular-season games played.
Stankoven was a star in the playoffs, scoring 16 points (11 goals, 5 assists) in 19 games.
It may be hard to believe, but this trade is about as equal as it gets for both sides. Both Stankoven and Rantanen play their respective roles well, and last year's trade was still a victory for Dallas. Don't let the Stanley Cup fool you. The Stars still need to figure out their Jason Robertson offseason saga, but it looks like that will be solved without issue.
Congrats to the Canes and to Stankoven, but the Stars are still a team to make noise with Rantanen for the next few years.
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