Stars, Hurricanes Trade Hits Roadblock

The reported blockbuster trade between the Carolina Hurricanes and Dallas Stars have hit a roadblock.

Mar 4, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Carolina Hurricanes right wing Mikko Rantanen (96) steers the puck away from Detroit Red Wings defenseman Justin Holl (3) in the first period at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images / Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

In the late night hours, reports broke that the Carolina Hurricanes and Dallas Stars were working on a huge trade. Mikko Rantanen, the superstar winger the Canes acquired one month ago, is reportedly joining the rest of the Finnish Mafia in Dallas.

But the deal between the Hurricanes and Stars has hit a serious roadblock. According to NHL insider Darren Peng, the big holdup is the pending contract extension. The Stars are trying to secure a new deal with Rantanen as part of the trade, and they've yet to agree to terms on what is sure to be a mega-deal. Taking to his X account, Peng explained the latest updates regarding this potential trade.

"There is no deal between Dallas and Carolina for Mikko Rantanen," he wrote. "It appears Carolina may have to go back to the drawing board. Doesn’t mean a deal/extension with Dallas can’t materialize, but it’s not there as of now."

This snag could end the conversations between the Hurricanes and Stars. Getting Rantanen to agree to a new deal before this year's NHL Trade Deadline has proved difficult. Carolina tried incessently from the moment they acquired him from the Colorado Avalanche, only to be given a firm "no" earlier in the week.

Now, Dallas is the organization experiencing this. Without having a new contract in place, it appears this trade could fall through the cracks.

If the Stars pull this off, they instantly become the top contenders in the Western Conference, surpassing even the NHL-leading Winnipeg Jets. Rantanen would give the Stars another extremely intelligent and productive forward and catapult this group to the best offensive one in the NHL.

If the Stars are unable to finalize this trade and contract extension, they still have options. They possess a wealth of salary cap space for the rest of the season with center Tyler Seguin on long-term injured reserve. It will be interesting to see if they pivot to another target as the Trade Deadline rapidly approaches.

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