Former Avalanche star Mikko Rantanen is catching fire in Dallas, and the numbers are starting to pile up fast.
Rantanen added two assists Thursday night in the Stars’ 3-2 overtime loss to Winnipeg, giving him five goals and eight assists through 10 games. Even more telling, he has seven points over his last five outings.
The latest surge follows his hat trick against Boston on October 20, when he powered Dallas to a 3-2 overtime win by scoring all three goals. For Avalanche fans, that kind of outburst brings back a familiar nightmare: Game 7 of the 2025 playoffs, when Rantanen buried three goals in one period to help eliminate Colorado.
That’s the version of Rantanen Denver remembers best. He was a central piece of the Avalanche’s 2022 Stanley Cup run, piling up 25 points in 20 playoff games. He also became a favorite in Colorado for his shootout touch and his sense of humor.
Now he’s doing it in a Stars sweater, which makes the whole thing feel a little surreal for Avs fans. Colorado has reasons to feel good about how the trade shook out, but watching Rantanen roll like this in Dallas still hits differently.
Years later, the trade can be viewed through a different lens. Martin Necas and Jack Drury, even though Drury is no longer with the team, helped make the Avalanche better, and Rantanen has been a stud for Dallas.
Still, the biggest winner from the deal was Carolina. After all, they did win the Stanley Cup.
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Avalanche Rough Stretch Puts C-Mac In An Uncomfortable Spotlight
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For Colorado, that kind of surge only sharpens the attention around a team trying to steady itself before facing Tampa Bay. The Avalanche are the kind of club that gets measured against the league's best every night, and when the results aren't there, the scrutiny follows quickly, especially with other familiar opponents like Nashville sputtering and Philadelphia clawing its way back from a rough start. [Read more 🡒]