The Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche are set for a first-round Stanley Cup Playoffs matchup. Despite dueling 100-point campaigns, the Winnipeg Jets' Presidents' Trophy campaign took the Central Division. So, that means Dallas and Colorado will square off for the second consecutive year. Mikko Rantanen started the season with the Avalanche, but ended up on the Stars after two trades. He spoke with NHL.com about facing his former teammates in a playoff series.

“I have a lot of friends off the ice from that team, but I think when the whistle goes on the ice for Game 1, I think then it’s business and we try to beat each other,” Rantanen told Nicholas Cotsonika. “Business is how I would look at it. Everybody wants to win.”

Rantanen spent the first 9.5 years of his career with the Avalanche, winning the 2022 Stanley Cup. He entered a contract year this year after consecutive 100-point seasons and was negotiating a contract to stay. But those negotiations fell apart, and the Avalanche traded him to the Carolina Hurricanes. Their negotiations also fell apart, forcing a deadline-day trade to the Stars.

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Rantanen knows the Avalanche are going to hit the gas for this series. The Stars will be without two of their best players for at least the start of the series. Miro Heiskanen won't return until the second round at the earliest, still rehabbing an injury from January. Jason Robertson got hurt in the final regular-season game and is week-to-week.

The Stars extended Rantanen before he even played a game, giving him an eight-year deal worth $12 million per year. While this season would be a great title opportunity, their window is wide open for years. Losing to the Avalanche would be a full-circle way for this season to end for Rantanen. Beating them would give his new team the leg up in a budding division rivalry.