Mikko Rantanen excited to “bring the fire” next year after frustrating end to 2025-26 season

If the Stars’ playoff window is open for the next five years or so, Mikko Rantanen is the player sitting on the sill.

Of course, it’s a team game and you will definitely need outstanding steps forward from players like Jake Oettinger, Wyatt Johnston, Miro Heiskanen, Roope Hintz, Thomas Harley and (possibly) Jason Robertson, but Rantanen is “that guy” for this team.

The 29-year-old Finn is a mix of power and skill rarely found in the NHL. He is 6-4, 228, but skates with ease, handles the puck and sees the ice as well as anyone in Victory Green. What’s more, he already has a postseason legacy that is among the best in the league.

Rantanen ranks 10th all-time in playoff points per game at 1.24. That’s impressive. Only Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Nathan MacKinnon rank above him when it comes to current players. Sidney Crosby, Jack Eichel and Nikita Kucherov trail Rantanen among guys still in the league. He has 130 points (44 goals, 86 assists) in 105 games, including 29 in 24 games in the past two seasons with Dallas.

He is that important.

And the fact that he found a way to get 7 points (1 goal, 6 assists) in 6 games while dealing with injury in the First Round loss to Minnesota says a lot about who Rantanen is as a player. Playing for Finland in the Olympics, Rantanen suffered an MCL tear in his knee, and that slowed him for the remainder of the season.

Yes, he battled back. Yes, he played in the playoffs. But GM Jim Nill said it was clear the injury was taking its toll on Rantanen.

“It was a major injury. He never really got going,” Nill said in the team’s exit interviews. “I think if you have watched Mikko on the ice, he loves to get players on his back, roar around the corners and come back. He couldn’t do that, he was falling down. He had to wear a brace. Anyone who has had to wear a brace, they’re a pain in the butt. But he fought through it.”

Rantanen said he’s not comfortable talking about injuries, but admitted the wonky knee did make it harder to perform.

“It’s unfortunate, because I was feeling really good before the Olympics,” he said. “It takes time, but I still felt good, body-wise and power-wise in the playoffs. It’s not an excuse, but you always want to stay healthy and stay in the rhythm.”

Rantanen did not require surgery – and will not require it this summer – but he did have to wear the brace and he did miss 15 games before playing the final 10 games of the regular season.

Nill said the team has pondered if Rantanen came back too quickly, but believes it made the right decision.

“Did he come back too soon? Not too soon, but it would have been nice to have one or two more weeks,” Nill said. “He never really got going again; and that’s not an excuse, it’s an injury.  He battled to get back as soon as he could, but I never thought he was himself.”

The hope is that he will be himself next year. After being traded from Colorado to Carolina and then Carolina to Dallas last season, Rantanen has found a home in the metroplex. He started an eight-year contract that averages $12 million per season, and he will be a huge part of the Stars going forward.

“He’s someone who needs the rest,” Nill said. “Since he’s turned pro, he’s never missed the playoffs, so there is a lot of wear there. He’s had a lot of short offseasons, so this will be good for him.”

Rantanen said it might be good for the entire team. Since 2019, Dallas has played the most playoff games in the league at 96, including three consecutive trips to the Western Conference Final.

“It’s tough when you feel like you have a chance to go deep,” he said of a Stars team that finished third in the NHL during the regular season. “Last year, Colorado was thinking what I’m thinking right now. It’s disappointing, but you have to learn from this and adjust.”

Colorado used the fire created from a Game 7 loss to Dallas last season in the First Round to win the Presidents’ Trophy this season. It currently is in the Western Conference Final against Vegas and might be the favorite to win the Stanley Cup. That is the kind of energy Rantanen would like to see from his current team next season. It’s the kind of energy he might create.

“This team has had a lot of long seasons, so it might be good to get some rest and bring the fire next year,” he said.

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.