The Dallas Stars could retrieve a critical piece to their roster ahead of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Mikko Rantanen and the Stars clinched their spot in the postseason after their win over the Seattle Kraken on Saturday, becoming the third NHL team to punch their ticket. The good news could keep racking up after head coach Peter DeBoer made a major comment on an injured Stanley Cup winning veteran on the team.
Dallas extended its red-hot form in the NHL, securing their fifth straight triumph after dismantling the Kraken for a lopsided 5-1 victory. The win etched the Stars’ name in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, where they’ll enter as heavy favorites to the Cup in the Western Conference.
DeBoer and the Stars can sense the pressure as the postseason looms closer and their talented roster attracts the spotlight to the organization in Dallas-Fort Worth. The Stars will vye to hoist Lord Stanley for the first time since 1999, and for the second time in franchise history.
There is no secret recipe for winning the Stanley Cup—if only it were that simple. It takes an all-out effort from the roster, combined with a fair share of lucky bounces here and there. However, having experienced veterans who have done it in the past will always come in handy.
Tyler Seguin #91 of the Dallas Stars warms up prior to Game Six of the Western Conference Final of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place on June 2, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
On that note, it would be amazing for Rantanen and the Stars to have Tyler Seguin back on the lineup for the playoffs. It’s a longshot, but DeBoer’s latest comments can serve as hope for the team.
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“He looks good,” Pete DeBoer said about Seguin, who participated in the team’s morning skate for the first time since undergoing a hip surgery in December, via NHL.com. “Next steps are getting the wind and the cardio [back], so he had a good little skate there. Everything is structured and orchestrated, so we just try and follow the recommendations, but he’s taken some big steps.”
Group leader
Seguin, who won the Stanley Cup during his rookie year with the Boston Bruins in the 2012-13 NHL season, had recorded 20 points (9 G and 10 A) in 19 games this season, before needing hip surgery on December 5th.
The 33-year-old veteran’s last game was on Dec. 1 against the Winnipeg Jets, and his recovery is expected to demand between four and six months. Therefore, hope remains he can return somewhere along the road during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and help the team on their pursuit for silverware. While his recovery has been noteworthy, Seguin remains on long-term injured reserve (LTIR).
Mikko Rantanen #96 of Team Finland stands at attention during the national anthems prior to the game against Team Sweden in the 4 Nations Face-Off game at the Bell Centre on February 15, 2025 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Getting into a rhythm
Rantanen’s arrival in Dallas raised many eyebrows after his brief tenure in Carolina, with many pointing at his lack of success and production without his Colorado Avalanche teammates. However, ‘The Moose’ has been quietly building up momentum and is now becoming a night-in, night-out contributor for DeBoer’s Stars.
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Rantanen now registers 11 points in as many games with Dallas. Most importantly, the 28-year-old forward is riding a four-game point streak, highlighted by back-to-back multi-point nights during the Stars’ latest outings.
