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Corey Perry, Edmonton Oilers (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

Trade What If: Where Red Hot Rantanen Would Have Fit with Oilers

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Jim Parsons | Last updated May 8, 2025 1:05 PM ET

The Edmonton Oilers are rolling right now — surging through the playoffs and looking like a team capable of going all the way. But it’s impossible to ignore the results another team in the Western Conference has with a player the Oilers heavily pursued at the trade deadline: the Dallas Stars are rolling after adding Mikko Rantanen.

According to multiple insiders, including one from TSN’s Ryan Rishaug in March, confirmed that Edmonton pushed hard for the elite winger, with confirmed interest from Rantanen and a willingness to sign long-term. Ultimately, the Dallas Stars won out, offering a stronger package to the Carolina Hurricanes and landing a player who has since become the offensive star of the postseason. While his heart was in Colorado, Rantanen’s decision to sign long-term with Dallas has paid off for both sides — and left the Oilers wondering how he might have fit into their current lineup.

Where Would Rantanen Be Playing on This Oilers Playoff Roster?

The domino effect that would have resulted from the Oilers trading for a signing Rantanen would have been incredible — both in the short term and the long term. For starters, someone good would’ve had to come out of the lineup.

Adding a player like Rantanen, who is now setting records with back-to-back playoff hat tricks, would have forced some tough decisions for the Oilers. With the team clicking, inserting a new star mid-run can be a double-edged sword. There is arguably no winger on the Oilers’ roster that compares to Rantanen, but chemistry is an interesting thing. Rantanen seems to have it in Dallas. He had none of it with the Hurricanes.

Meanwhile, Edmonton has been getting strong contributions throughout the lineup, especially in their top six. Someone from that group would have had to come out. The most likely option would have been Corey Perry.

Putting Rantanen on Connor McDavid’s wing would have been the stuff of dreams. To make that work, Perry would likely lose his spot on that top line — which he has embraced and excelled at — while McDavid, Rantanen, and Leon Draisaitl would have dominated. In this scenario, Zach Hyman would remain with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Evander Kane. That’s one heck of a top six.

It’s almost an embarrassment of riches — the kind of depth that separates contenders from champions. Perry would have arguably found a fit on the bottom-six line, as Trent Frederic likely wouldn’t have been acquired at the deadline.

What About the Long-Term Impact of a Rantanen Trade?

But fitting Rantanen in wouldn’t have just been about the current playoff run. The Oilers don’t push for that trade without an extension. That would have meant a commitment of at least $12–$13 million per season for the next eight seasons. His signing would have drastically altered the Oilers’ long-term cap picture, impacting decisions around McDavid and Evan Bouchard.

Oilers fans might have asked, after the playoff run, which Oilers has to go? It would have been difficult to give McDavid what could be as much as $16 or $17 million per season and sign Bouchard to a long-term deal. Several pending UFAs wouldn’t have fit (including Connor Brown, John Klingberg, or Frederic). Most fans would have said Bouchard is expendable or pitched for a bridge deal, but based on the way he’s played lately, one has to wonder what approach the Oilers would have taken.

Maybe it’s pointless to consider a what if. Rantanen would’ve made Edmonton the clear-cut Cup favorites, but that didn’t happen.

GM Stan Bowman said the team “took a swing on a lot of things,” and Rantanen was among them. Ultimately, the lack of trade assets and cap room without retention complicated matters. Carolina, looking to maximize return, turned to Dallas when Rantanen included them on his short list, along with Edmonton and Toronto.

However, it’s fascinating to see what might have been and how such a big trade would have impacted both the Stars and the Oilers. Dallas looks like the geniuses of the trade deadline. The Oilers aren’t looking too shabby these days, having found their game and going up 1-0 in their series with the Vegas Golden Knights.

In the end, the true winner of the deadline might only be learned if one of these two teams wins the Stanley Cup this season.