The Carolina Hurricanes traded Mikko Rantanen to the Dallas Stars yesterday, in exchange for forward Logan Stankoven, a first-round pick in 2026, a first-round pick in 2028, a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 third-round pick.
Rantanen had been acquired in January, for a package which included Martin Necas and Jack Drury. However, the winger managed just two goals and six points across 13 games with the team, and with the sides not able to work out a contract extension, the Hurricanes opted to move him.
Rantanen then signed an eight-year contract with the Stars, after the acquisition, which I’ve posted a contract analysis article for at HockeyComparables.com:
- Analyzing Mikko Rantanen’s eight-year contract
Stankoven is just 22 years old and was originally selected in the second round of the 2021 Draft. After splitting last season between the NHL and AHL, Stankoven played 59 games with the Stars this season, scoring nine goals and 29 points.
Considering his age, Stankoven has the opportunity to be a long-term piece to build around for the Hurricanes. While his production may not be at an elite level, his numbers in both junior and the AHL point to him being a high-end producer in the NHL down the road.
With the first-round picks, the Hurricanes are getting quality assets down the road. Either pick is top-10 protected, but whether Carolina uses the picks to continue building, or flips them in the offseason to make a bigger move, the Hurricanes got a decent return in the Rantanen trade.
Of course, the Hurricanes are worse off this season – a year in which they’re one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference – than if they hadn’t parted with Martin Necas in the original trade to begin with. But considering the predicament that the team found themselves in, needing to either trade Rantanen before the deadline or keep him and hope they could re-sign him later, Carolina managed to get out of the situation with a decent return.
It’s a move that leaves them much worse off this year, but may not necessarily halt their ability to remain a top team in the coming years.
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In a smaller move, the Hurricanes also acquired forward Mark Jankowski from the Nashville Predators, in exchange for a fifth-round pick. Jankowski is 30 years old and scored nine points across 41 games with the Predators this season.
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