The Avalanche first dealt Rantanen, a 2022 Stanley Cup champion while sharing the ice with Kadri, in January to the Carolina Hurricanes before he forced a trade-deadline move to the Stars. Immediately following his trade to Dallas, the Stars signed him to an eight-year, $96 million contract extension —a deal Colorado reportedly refused to match.

Winnipeg Jets coach Scott Arniel chuckled when asked before Sunday’s game what had worked so well against preposterously hot Mikko Rantanen in a Game 2 shutout of the Dallas Stars. “Well, we’re not done with him yet,

Rantanen is now the first player in NHL history to record five three-point efforts in their first 10 games of the playoffs. Evgeni Malkin, Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Evander Kane are the only players to have recorded four three-point games in their first 10 contests of a postseason.

Earlier this year, the GM of the Colorado Avalanche made a huge deal by sending Mikko Rantanen to Carolina. With this transaction, he cancelled out the possibility of losing the big Finn for absolutely nothing.

Rantanen continued his playoff brilliance with a second-period hat-trick, powering the Stars past the Jets 3-2. How must Winnipeg readjust?