When the Dallas Stars acquired Mikko Rantanen, the headlines were obvious: a perennial contender had just added a top-tier scoring winger. The deal was a bombshell in its own right, dominating the news cycle for a week before fans started checking the goal totals.
But 26 games into the 2025-26 season, looking strictly at point totals misses the forest for the trees. Yes, Rantanen has been great — 34 points in 26 games, an elite level — but his true value lies in more than just his scoring numbers. It’s in the space he makes for other people.
We are witnessing a fundamental shift in the Stars’ offensive identity. What was once a very nice, structured unit has grown into a statistical juggernaut, especially in terms of personnel strengths. Rantanen didn’t just join the team; He changed the geometry of how they attacked.
“Choose Your Poison” Game of Thrones
Entering this season, the question for Dallas wasn’t whether they could make the playoffs, but whether their special teams unit could transition from “effective” to “overwhelming.” Early returns suggest the answer is yes. Currently, the Stars’ power-play efficiency reaches an astonishing 31.9%, ranking second in hockey.
To understand why, you have to look at how penalty killers work. In previous seasons, the defensive unit could have deceived Jason Robertson. They know he’s the primary triggerman who can throw screens his way, daring them to beat them on the other side of the ice.
Rantanen’s arrival canceled this strategy.
He acts as a force of gravity on the right wing. Because of his double-digit power-play goal history with the Colorado Avalanche, the penalty killer has to respect his shot. But because he’s also an elite dealer, they can’t aggressively pressure him without leaving a gap.
As one Western Conference scout recently noted, defenses can no longer “cheat one side.” If you focus too much on Rantanen, Robertson has time and space on the left. If you stay at home with Robertson, Rantanen has the size and hands to shoot. It creates a classic “pick your poison” dilemma, where no matter what they choose, the defense is wrong.
Heavy hockey and bike racing
While the skill set is impressive, Rantanen’s impact on ball-handling metrics is rooted in a more important factor: size.
Modern hockey fans often divide players into “skill players” and “grinders,” but Rantanen occupies that rare middle ground. He is a superstar who plays the meat and potatoes game. His ability to win wall battles is arguably as important to the Stars as his shooting.
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When a power play fails, it usually happens because the defense clears away the loose puck. Rantanen’s size allowed the Stars to maintain possession in a 50/50 battle in the corner. He extends the offensive zone, wears down the penalty killers and forces them to defend for 40, 50 or 60 seconds straight. Fatigue leads to mistakes, and those mistakes lead to goals.
The Demise of “Get Pucks on Net”
Perhaps the most interesting development this season under head coach Glenn Gruzan is the shift away from a shooting-heavy philosophy. We’ve all heard the ad nauseam old hockey cliché: “Just put the puck on the net and good things will happen.”
Rantanen and the Stars are proving that patience is actually a virtue.
Rantanen has been outspoken about his focus on quality over quantity. He’s not interested in firing low-danger shots at the goalkeeper’s mark just to provoke a confrontation. He waited. He holds the ball for an extra second, forcing defenders to freeze or scramble until a high-percentage lane opens up.
The data supports this. The Stars are averaging fewer shots per game than the league average, but they are still one of the highest-scoring teams in the league. They’re not counting on a lucky bounce; They are designing for high probability execution.
Unlock the middle of the ice
Wyatt Johnston is a talented young forward who gets a boost from Rantanen’s playmaking ability. Rantanen praised Johnston as a natural “finisher” and their partnership is producing elite underlying numbers.
When the lineup of Rantanen, Johnston and Robertson is on the ice, they have an expected goals against rate (xGF) of 5.30 per 60 minutes at five-on-five. In layman’s terms: Based on the quality of shots they generate, this line creates enough offense to score more than five goals per hour of ice time they share. This is not only a good thing; This is league-leading dominance.
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With Rantanen demanding so much attention on the perimeter, Johnston found soft ice near the net that wasn’t there before.
queen on chessboard
If we look at the team structure, Rantanen’s presence provides stability.
The best metaphor for his influence is that of a queen on a chessboard. The queen is powerful not only because she can capture the pieces, but also because she controls such a large territory at once. Her presence forces the opponent to give up other pieces.
Rantanen controls the board. By drawing the attention of the opponent’s best defender, he allows the Stars to run wave after wave of offense. The top unit breaks the door and the depth line runs through the opening.
The Stars are already a contender. But with Rantanen, they’ve evolved from a team that wants to win to a team that dictates how games are played.
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