Micco Lanternten's stay in Carolina was as far as Abe Simpson was kneeling around the “Maison Delière” Burlesque House when Bert found him. Lantanen was dealt with Dallas on Friday after it failed to reach an agreement with the hurricane in a long-term deal. This is reportedly that Lantanen will sign an eight-year contract with a $12 million AAV worth star.
Details are still hammered and could go all the way to the deadline for a contract extension, but there are ideas for this contract framework.
The basis for the return when Mikko Rantanen gets the deal seems to be Logan Stankoven and two first round picks.
– Jeff Marek (@jeffmarek) March 7, 2025
The Hurricane was in an enviable position, like a completely unique piece. The Lantanen traded was swinging on the fence. They wanted him to convince him to re-sign and stay with Finnish superstar Sebastian Aho, but that never happened. Not only did the sides not be able to make a deal, but Rantanen never actually worked within the Rod Brind-Amour system, registering just six points in 13 games.
It raises very realistic questions about whether Lantanen was as elite as the numbers suggest, and whether he was a very big benefactor to the brilliance of Nate McKinnon of Colorado. What was more concerning for Carolina than the lack of points was the severely inefficient shooting of the Lantanen. This is a significant drop from 5% in hurricanes and 18.5% in AVS.
So, what does this mean for the stars? If Rantanen's performance issues are the product of not fitting in the cane system, it is an incredible victory for them. AVS-level lantanen may not only change the frontline of Dallas, but also bring home the Stanley Cup.
This reality becomes confusing if this is the case when lantanen doesn't work away from Mackinnon. Dallas didn't necessarily go “everything,” but they traded three solid assets and, more importantly, carved out a massive deal.
Ultimately, this was a mutually beneficial deal. Carolina rolled the dice, but it didn't work, but it came back. Dallas has potentially got a player who can win the Cup and take him to the next level.
