$96 million trade and days later you become the star of that team? Yes please. That’s the kind of glow-up Mikko Rantanen just pulled off like it was scripted for Hollywood. Not even a full month ago, he was caught in a whirl of trade buzz, heartbreak exits, and injury whispers, and now? The man’s straight-up headlining Dallas’ playoff fairytale. After hopping from Carolina to Texas in a whirlwind three-team shuffle back in January, Rantanen didn’t just sign a new zip code; he bagged an eight-year, $96 million deal and instantly became that guy in green and black.

“It’s been crazy,” Rantanen admitted, his words still spinning from the ride. First time leaving Colorado? First time being traded ever? Then boom; a new home, a monster contract, and now a whole city chanting his name as he helps knock Carolina out of the same Stanley Cup race he left them for. Destiny? Coincidence? Maybe just a guy who turned pressure into playoff gold. Either way, Dallas is dancing, Carolina’s out, and Mikko’s smiling from ear to ear on the rink.

Frank Seravalli came in swinging on X with a spicy little drop: “The first of how many playoff series that Mikko Rantanen will haunt the #GoAvsGo over the next 8 years?” And honestly? That man wasn’t exaggerating one bit. Rantanen didn’t just show up, he took Game 7, spun it on its head, and tossed his old squad, the Avalanche, out the Stanley Cup door like a plot twist nobody saw coming. He closed the series with 11 points in just the final three games like he was playing NHL on rookie mode, oh, and casually added a third-period hat trick plus an assist in Game 7 like it was just another Tuesday.

The Stars were looking a little shaky down 2-0 early in the third, but Rantanen said nah, not today. The comeback began at the 7:49 mark with his first snipe, then another heater flew in at 13:46, flipping the entire game on its head. Cue Wyatt Johnston dropping the go-ahead goal, and just when Colorado thought they still had a breath left, Rantanen shut the door with an empty-netter and probably a smirk.

This wasn’t just some random pop-off either. Rantanen, who spent seven playoff seasons and won a Cup with the Avs in 2022, had his second four-point third period of this series, which is straight-up bonkers. Only one other dude in NHL history’s ever done that in a Game 7. And let’s not forget, this is all happening in the same season he had a brief little Carolina detour before pulling up in Dallas and turning the rink into his own personal highlight reel. And while he is shining right now in those colors, there was a time when he was facing the heat!

Mikko Rantanen faces the heat before becoming a hero!

Just a few days ago, Mikko Rantanen’s name was buzzing all over social media, and not in a feel-good kinda way. After landing in Dallas with high hopes and that shiny new contract, the man was expected to light it up like it was Colorado all over again. But instead? Just one lonely goal and a sprinkle of assists across five games, and then that brutal, cringey crash with Connor Zary. Flames fans went wild, some fuming mad, others just flat-out shook. Rantanen slipped (or so they say) and collided right into Zary during the third period, and it wasn’t pretty. Zary hit the ice clutching his knee like a scene straight out of a hockey horror movie, and that clip? Went viral in seconds.

It didn’t help that this wasn’t Mikko’s first questionable moment; dude had already been tangled up with Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner earlier, too. So fans didn’t hold back. One went on full rage-mode and called him a “f—— menace,” while another sarcastically labeled the crash “the least intentional play I’ve ever seen,” like okay, but… were you there, though? The worst part? Zary had just come back from a knee injury that already had him sidelined for a month. Talk about bad timing. The whole thing left fans and Flames players rattled, with many calling for Rantanen to face some serious consequences.

But oh, how quickly the narrative flips in this wild world of pucks and playoff dreams. Fast forward just a few nights, and guess who’s suddenly the hero of the hour? Yup, the same Rantanen who was getting roasted left and right is now out here pulling hat tricks and silencing critics with a stick that might as well be dipped in gold. From villain to victory lap, he’s done the full 180.