Stars’ Mikko Rantanen Explains His $96 Million Decision 

Rantanen told Suvinen he knew the cap was rising when he signed in March 2025. Two trades in six weeks had worn him down, and he wanted the security of a long contract. He was done moving.

The Stars are 8-5-1 and third in the Central Division after beating the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-1 on Oct. 31, and their next big contract belongs to Jason Robertson. He took the other path in July, signing one year at $12 million after turning down a reported eight years at $15 million a season from the Seattle Kraken. Rantanen is set through 2032-33. Robertson is playing a contract year.

Rantanen Has Been Willing to Take Less Before

The Colorado Avalanche traded Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes on Jan. 24, 2025, in the last year of his contract. Carolina moved him to Dallas on March 7, and he signed the extension the same day. Two new dressing rooms in six weeks.

Money was part of the story from the start. After the first trade, he told Ilta-Sanomat he had been willing to take less than his market value to stay in Colorado. Yle’s account at the time, citing Pierre LeBrun, said the Avalanche didn’t want to pay him more than Nathan MacKinnon’s $12.6 million. He signed for less in Dallas.

This week, he added one detail. After the second trade, he said he only wanted to focus on hockey. To me, it looked like he wanted a place he fit more than another couple of million a season.

The money doesn’t bother him. Whether it’s $12 million or $16 million a season doesn’t matter much to him in the long run, he said. “I’m a humble guy from Nousiainen, and I don’t buy new cars every week.” (Nousiainen, his hometown, is a small town north of Turku.) He also said rising salaries are good for players and that everyone wants to be paid their market value.

The Cap Math Only Looks Bad in Hindsight

The market moved after he signed. In March 2025, the richest contract in the league was Leon Draisaitl’s at $14 million a season. Suvinen’s own story notes that salaries above $17 million were practically unheard of that spring. Rantanen had no contracts like today’s to measure against.

Kirill Kaprizov’s eight-year deal with the Minnesota Wild came that September, at $17 million a season. It didn’t exist when Rantanen signed. Every comparison to today’s market starts from it.

Texas being the final landing spot also adds some context to the story. The state has no income tax, and Ilta-Sanomat’s math has Rantanen keeping about $7.7 million of his $12 million after taxes, against about $9.1 million of Kaprizov’s $17 million in Minnesota.

For Dallas, the timing worked out. Rantanen’s $12 million took about 13 percent of the cap last season and drops below 11 percent next season, when the cap reaches a projected $113.5 million. His number didn’t move. The cap did. The production has held up, with 77 points in 64 games last season and 17 in 14 this season.

Robertson Is Playing for His Next Contract

Term was the other half. Rantanen’s deal runs through 2032-33, his age-36 season, so contract pressure is off for the rest of his career. Robertson’s one-year deal puts every game of this season on the record for his next negotiation. He led Dallas with 96 points last season and has 14 in 14 games so far, a little under that pace.

He took less to stay, too. Seattle’s offer would have paid him about $3 million more this season. Stars general manager Jim Nill told NHL.com he plans to sit down with his camp around Dec. 1, though no extension can be signed before Jan. 1. Nill seems to want it settled early.

There may be no rush. On TSN’s Insider Trading on Oct. 29, Pierre LeBrun said he believes Robertson loves it in Dallas. He also asked why Robertson would sign in January, when waiting would show how far salaries rise. A new deal couldn’t give him trade protection until July 1, either.

Dallas will have room either way. Tyler Seguin’s $9.85 million comes off the books after this season, along with Robertson’s current $12 million. Matching Rantanen’s share of this season’s cap would cost about $13 million next season, and matching Kaprizov’s would cost about $18.5 million.

If Robertson signs in January, his contract year ends early. If he waits for July, he plays out the season for a deal under a projected $113.5 million cap. Rantanen ended contract talks the day he arrived.