Just over a day from the close of the trade deadline, the biggest name changing hands is set to debut with his new club.
In the team’s morning skate, Rantanen was on a line with Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson.
The high-scoring forward swapped sweaters for the second time this season, joining the Stars from the Carolina Hurricanes for a haul after being the centrepiece of a blockbuster deal from the Colorado Avalanche earlier this year.
Rantanen — and the Stars — will surely hope that the production he put on display in Colorado is the real him as compared to his short stint in Raleigh. Despite having 27 goals and 43 assists on the season, only two goals and four assists came in his 13 outings with the Hurricanes.
Even if the production does take some time to ramp up, the Stars will have the 28-year-old under team control for the next eight years, after Rantanen signed an eight-year, $96 million contract extension as soon as the trade went through on Friday.
The Stars are currently surging in the Central, riding a four-game win streak as they try to cut into the Winnipeg Jets’ lead atop the division.
The Oilers, meanwhile, have won four of their last 10 games and will hope the deadline acquisitions of Jake Walman from the San Jose Sharks and Trent Frederic from the Boston Bruins can propel them as the season goes on.
You can catch Rantanen’s debut with the Stars on Sportsnet at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT.
