The Dallas Stars and Carolina Hurricanes have pulled of the deal of NHL trade deadline day. Mikko Rantanen is on the move from Carolina to Dallas, just weeks after the Colorado Avalanche traded Rantanen to Carolina. Extension negotiations have been a big part of this saga. TSN's Darren Dreger reports that the Stars have locked him in.

“An extensive back and forth about to end with the Dallas Stars acquiring and extending Mikko Rantanen. Not done, but I believe he’s settling for the $12 mil per as we’ve discussed,” Dreger reported on Friday.

The Hurricanes and Avalanche both tried to extend Rantanen and failed. Reports indicated that Carolina offered “over $100 million,” which this extension is not. But Texas is a tax-free state, and North Carolina and Colorado are not.

Later in the day, Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News broke the return. “I’m hearing the Stars are getting Rantanen for Stankoven and two firsts, but take that more as a framework than an official report. Expect it to be something like that. Good for both if so.”

TSN's Pierre LeBrun and Daily FaceOff's Jeff Marek came in later and confirmed that return. Stankoven is 22 years old and has one more year on his entry-level contract.

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Rantanen played 13 games with the Carolina Hurricanes and scored just two goals. Last year, he netted 42 with the Avalanche and posted 25 points in 20 playoff games during Colorado's Cup run in 2022.

The Stars likely were not among the teams Colorado was considering when trading Rantanen the first time because they are division rivals. Now, they get their hands on the best player dealt on Friday.

While the Hurricanes will get crushed for this move, they took a swing which they needed to. They have not won an Eastern Conference Final game under coach Rod Brind'amour since 2019.

They needed an elite goal scorer and made the trade to fill that role. But now, they gave up Martin Necas and Jack Drury for 13 games of Rantanen. This return has to be massive to save Eric Tulsky's first trade deadline as a general manager.