Heika’s Take: Rantanen shines as Stars stumble in 5-4 loss to Oilers

As first games go, this one was pretty productive for Stars newcomer Mikko Rantanen.

As just regular games go, it was a bit of a dud.

In losing to the Edmonton Oilers 5-4 Saturday at Rogers Place, Dallas was frenetic and unstructured. The Stars got down 5-1 and then rallied back, but the end result was disappointing.

“Pond hockey game,” Stars coach Pete DeBoer said. “Not much else to say.”

Well, there was the topic of Rantanen, and that was a much more enjoyable chat. The big winger, who was acquired in a trade deadline deal Friday and then signed to an eight-year contract extension that makes him the team’s highest paid player, had a goal and an assist, and looked like he could have a real impact with his new teammates.

“I think Rantanen is going to be all right for us,” DeBoer said with a smile. “I think we’ll keep him.”

That process is important. The deal might be the most significant of the Jim Nill era, as Dallas gave Carolina Logan Stankoven, two first-round draft picks and two third-round draft picks. They also handed Rantanen a deal that averages $12 million a year, two million dollars more per season than his next closest teammate.

So, yeah, fans, coaches, and players are all going to be impatiently waiting to see if the fit is right.

Rantanen didn’t wait long, as he drew an assist on Wyatt Johnston’s first-period power play goal. He then added his own score on the man advantage in the third period to flash a little of the offensive ability that makes him a point-a-game player in his career.

“I’m just trying to help the team any way I can. Sometimes, it’s on the sheet and sometimes it’s just defending well,” Rantanen said, adding that he liked playing with the first power play unit that is among the hottest in the league. Dallas scored twice on the man advantage Saturday. Rantanen, who played most of his career in Colorado, and was traded to the Hurricanes in February, had to approve the trade, so the process was complicated. He said in the morning that he likes a lot of things about the Stars organization, including the fact they have a lot of Finnish players.

After Saturday’s game, he said he also likes the style of hockey the team plays and the depth of skill in the lineup. Forward Roope Hintz took a puck to the face and had to leave the game to get treatment at the hospital. However, Dallas still rallied back from a 5-1 deficit with three third-period goals.

“They like to play with the puck. That’s a big reason why I wanted to come here,” Rantanen said. “Roope goes down and we can still almost tie the game without him, so that tells you how deep the team is.”

Dallas was a bit disheveled early, and that was concerning. Goalie Jake Oettinger wasn’t handling the puck well, and the group’s structure and detail game was off. That allowed the Oilers, who beat the Stars in the Western Conference Final last year, to score five straight goals and take over the game.

“Our first two periods, we know that wasn’t us,” said defenseman Matt Dumba, who scored his first goal of the season. “We just had to put that behind us and play for each other. I am proud of how we fought back and hopefully we carry that into tomorrow night.”

The Stars play at Vancouver on Sunday, so the challenge is real for everyone. DeBoer said it might be especially hard for Rantanen, who went through morning skate on Saturday, but was capping off a whirlwind couple of days.

“Never mind flying across the country from Carolina. That’s a big ask. I really liked what I saw,” DeBoer said. “He played with Jason\] [Robertson most of the night and we doubled him up when Roope went out. I liked him on the power play. We’re probably going to use him in a lot of different ways.”

Rantanen said he liked the shuffling. He finished with time on ice at 21:56 and had four shots on goal. He played with Robertson and Johnston on the top line, and also saw time with Matt Duchene and some of the depth forwards.

“I think it’s good to get your legs underneath you right away and kind of see the chemistry,” Rantanen said. “There are really good centers on the team. All of the guys are really smart players who can make plays. It was nice to get going with everyone a little bit.”

Dallas received goals from Johnston, Rantanen, Jamie Benn and Dumba, so it was a nice effort in the third period.

“I think we deserved what we got every period,” Benn said of the inconsistency. “The details were sloppy in the first, and we came down 3-1. You dig yourself a hole against a team like that and it’s hard to come back. I think we deserved everything we got in the third when we started to play the right way.”

Now, they just have to iron out the problems and keep working on making Rantanen a big part of the team.

“We pretty much knew everything about him. It’s just nice to have him on our side now,” Benn said, adding that making the move is important for the team dynamic. “It means a lot. It shows that everyone in this organization believes in us.”

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.

Mike Heika is a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on X @MikeHeika.