Sunday’s matchup between the Dallas Stars and the Colorado Avalanche had all the storylines of a Hollywood movie. An athlete seemingly cast away by his former team goes through a series of significant personal challenges before returning to the scene where he was once great.
But now, with a chip on his shoulder, that athlete has a chance to prove, once and for all, how wrong his former team was in trading him.
That was the subplot leading Sunday’s Avs-Stars matchup. Mikko Rantanen made his return to Colorado after being traded to the Carolina Hurricanes earlier this season. Unfortunately for Rantanen, the movie plot ended with his team losing 4-3 in overtime.
Moreover, Rantanen didn’t have his best game this season. While he registered an assist on Jason Robertson’s opening goal, Rantanen would go on to play a little over 17 minutes for the game. That ice time was his third-lowest total of the season.
If the plan was for Rantanen to give his former team and fans a taste of what they have been missing, it didn’t work. Since leaving Colorado, Rantanen has been a shell of his former self. Of course, adjusting to a new team isn’t easy. So, we should give him a break, there.
Rantanen has had to adjust twice this season. But his lack of scoring has gotten to the point where it’s concerning. Perhaps it’s just a matter of a mental adjustment following a whirlwind last two months or so.
Perhaps there’s something else brewing beneath the surface. Whatever the case, the hope is that Rantanen can rediscover the scoring touch that made him a team legend in Colorado.
Looking at Rantanen’s numbers after leaving Colorado
Since leaving Colorado, Mikko Rantanen has failed to put up the numbers he consistently produced with the Avalanche.
First, let’s look at Rantanen’s tenure with the Carolina Hurricanes. In total, Rantanen played 13 games for the Hurricanes, racking up two goals and four assists, to go with a minus-3, according to StatMuse.
Those numbers aren’t bad, but they weren’t the numbers the Hurricanes hoped they would get from Rantanen. While his lack of production wasn’t the reason for the trade to Dallas, his numbers were, nonetheless, disappointing for the Hurricanes.
Since landing in Dallas, Rantanen has fared a little better. He’s played in four games, notching two goals and two assists. He had a two-point debut against the Edmonton Oilers, a one-goal game against the Vancouver Canucks, nothing against the Winnipeg Jets, and one assists against the Avalanche on Sunday.
Thus far, we can conclude that Rantanen has had a successful start with the Stars. He’s got four points in four games against four playoff opponents. If he keeps up this pace, Rantanen could yield the results Dallas expected when trading for him.
Ultimately, we know Mikko Rantanen too well to write him off. But there is no question that his numbers have dipped since leaving Colorado. Hopefully, Rantanen can regain the scoring touch that’s made him one of the league’s top scorers over the last decade or so.