Despite sustaining a ligament tear at the Olympics, the Finnish winger posted elite numbers during a gritty late-season return. Now, Dallas confirms a surgery-free recovery for their star forward.
On Thursday, the Mikko Rantanen injury mystery finally got an answer, and the news is about as good as it gets.
Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill revealed when speaking with press that Rantanen returned from the Olympics this past season with a torn MCL, an injury sustained during international play that sidelined him for a stretch before he rejoined the Stars lineup in late March. Nill confirmed that Rantanen will not require surgery and is expected to be fully healthy heading into next season.
The revelation puts into perspective just how impressive Rantanen's return was. After missing time with the injury, the Finnish winger played the final ten games of the regular season and recorded eight points during that stretch before carrying that momentum into the playoffs.
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He did not miss a game in Dallas's first-round series against the Minnesota Wild, posting seven points in six games with the injury apparently not slowing him down.
Rantanen finished the season with 77 points on 22 goals and 55 assists in 64 games. On the surface it reads as a down year for a player who has twice eclipsed the 100-point mark, but on a point-per-game basis the numbers tell a different story.
Playing through a torn MCL for a significant portion of the season, Rantanen still produced at better than a point per game, a reminder that when fully healthy, he remains one of the more dangerous offensive weapons in the Western Conference.
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