Dallas Stars forward Mikko Rantanen was cleared to return from injured reserve Saturday, just hours before his team faced the Pittsburgh Penguins on the road.
The 29-year-old player had been out of action since the Olympic break following a lower-body injury he suffered while representing Finland at the Milan Cortina Games.
Rantanen’s injury occurred during Finland’s matchup with Canada on February 20th, preventing him from participating in the bronze-medal game against Slovakia. During his Olympic stint, he contributed six points through two goals and four assists across five contests for the Finnish national team.
This season, the 11-year NHL veteran has compiled 69 points for Dallas, recording 20 goals and 49 assists through 54 games played.
Currently under an eight-year deal worth $96 million, Rantanen brings extensive experience with 774 career points spanning 706 NHL games. His career statistics include 314 goals and 460 assists across stints with Colorado (2015-25), Carolina (2025), and Dallas (2025-26). Colorado selected him 10th overall in the 2015 NHL Draft, and he was part of the Avalanche’s Stanley Cup championship team in 2022.
