Rantanen dealt to Dallas, lands 8-year deal

NHL

Bruins’ Marchand lands in Florida amid flurry of activity at trade deadine

The Hurricanes’ Mikko Rantanen protests against a penalty with an official during the third period against the Oilers in Raleigh, N.C., on March 1. KARL DEBLAKER — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

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By JOHN WAWROW and STEPHEN WHYNO

AP Hockey Writers

Mikko Rantanen is heading back to the Western Conference. Brad Marchand is headed south.

The Dallas Stars paid a big price to acquire Rantanen from the Carolina Hurricanes just before the NHL trade deadline on Friday, a move that preceded Marchand’s departure from Boston after 16 seasons and a Stanley Cup championship in 2011. He will get a shot at a second with the defending champion Florida Panthers. Florida general manager Bills Zito said the Bruins received a second-round pick that turns into a first-rounder dependent on Marchand’s playing time.

“His record speaks for itself. We’re thrilled to have him on board,” Zito said.

Dallas dealt promising rookie forward Logan Stankoven and two first-round and two third-round picks as part of a blockbuster deal to acquire Rantanen. Dallas also agreed to an eight-year, $96 million contract with the high-scoring Finn after both the Hurricanes and Colorado Avalanche failed in their attempts to sign him to a long-term deal.

“Obviously a really good team in Carolina. ... But I think just the fit in Dallas,” Rantanen told TSN. “I’ve played against Dallas a lot. I know they have a good team. I know the city well enough and everything there,. So at the end of the day, it was easy.”

The Stars also locked up three-time 20-goal scorer Wyatt Johnston, who is only 21, to a five-year $42 million contract extension, a person with direct knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because the Stars have not announced the deal. To make room for Rantanen, the Stars put defenseman Miro Heiskanen — listed as month to month after knee surgery — on long-term injured reserve.

“The chance to acquire and extend one of the best forwards in the NHL is an opportunity that we couldn’t pass up,” Stars general manager Jim Nill said.

The 36-year-old Marchand is in the final year of his contract and he leaves a Bruins team that is suddenly transitioning to youth while in jeopardy of missing the playoffs for the first time in nine seasons. The Bruins also traded 33-year-old forward Charlie Coyle and a fifth-round pick to Colorado in exchange for 26-year-old center Casey Mittelstadt, a prospect and a 2025 second-round pick. They also acquired Buffalo defenseman Henry Jokiharju for a fourth-round selection.

Rantanen was one of the top players available and he was on the move again just two months after the Hurricanes acquired him from Colorado in a three-team trade that also included the Chicago Blackhawks. Carolina gave up Jack Drury, Martin Necas and two draft picks in making the trade in hopes to lock up Rantanen, who is in the final year of a six-year, $55 million contract.

Rather than risk losing the 28-year-old Rantanen for nothing in free agency this summer, the Hurricanes sent him back to the Central Division. Rantanen had two goals and six points in 13 games with Carolina, which is second in the Metropolitan Division.

Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky told reporters he was pleased with the return Carolina received, noting he ran out of time in a bid to flip some of the assets acquired for a player.

In Rantanen, the Stars add a proven playoff performer who played a key role in Colorado winning the Stanley Cup in 2022. He has 101 points in 81 postseason games with eight series victories — an average seventh in league history behind only Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Nathan MacKinnon and Mark Messier.

The second-place Stars made the move at the same time the NHL-leading division-rival Winnipeg Jets improved their lineup with a pair of trades. The Jets acquired forward Brandon Tanev by sending a 2027 second-round pick to Seattle. Winnipeg bolstered its blue line by adding Luke Schenn in a trade with Pittsburgh, two days after the Penguins acquired the rugged defenseman from Nashville.

Meantime, the Ottawa Senators acquired Buffalo forward Dylan Cozens to help boost their late-season playoff hopes in a four-player deal involving two Atlantic Division rivals.

In adding Cozens, a 2019 first-round pick, defenseman Dennis Gilbert and a 2026 second-round pick, Ottawa dealt center Josh Norris and defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker to the Eastern Conference’s last-place Sabres. Both are former first-round picks.

The Senators are seeking to end a seven-season playoff drought. Cozens, 24, is the key to the deal for Ottawa, which entered Friday holding the East’s eighth and final playoff berth. Since a career-best 31 goals in 2022-23, Cozens has 29 goals over his past two seasons, which coincided with him signing a seven-year, $49.7 million contract.

In other moves:

• Columbus got some center depth by acquiring Luke Kunin from San Jose for a fourth-round draft pick.

• The Flyers dealt veteran forward Scott Laughton to Toronto and agreed to retain 50% of his salary for rookie forward Nikita Grebenkin and a conditional 2027 first-round pick. Philadelphia also traded Andrei Kuzmenko with a seventh-round pick to the Los Angeles Kings for a third-rounder, five weeks after acquiring him from Calgary in a multiplayer deal.

• The Eastern Conference-leading Washington Capitals acquired winger Anthony Beauvillier from rival Pittsburgh for a 2025 second-round pick.

• Edmonton improved its defense by landing Jake Walman in a deal in which San Jose acquired a conditional first-round pick and center Carl Berglund.