NHL insider reveals inside details on Mikko Rantanen-Colorado Avalanche contract negotiations

Mikko Rantanen has already cemented himself as a legend in Dallas.

The Stars' superstar winger took over the final three games of their first-round series against the Colorado Avalanche like very few can.

His former team simply could not contain him — and now the organization will spend the summer ruing the decision to trade him. Rantanen never wanted to leave Colorado, and more details about the contract negotiations between his camp and the Avalanche have surfaced in the aftermath.

On Monday’s episode of The Kyper and Bourne Show, Sportsnet NHL insider Nick Kypreos broke down what he knows about the Rantanen situation. Sportsnet 590 The FAN shared the interview on X (formerly Twitter).

"I believe that their last offer came in around 11.6, and now the agents are at 13 on a fair market price for him," Kypreos said. "And then, Rantanen got involved; he went back to the office and said, I am flexible; we can work this out. And then 48 hours to 72 hours later, traded to Carolina.

"He would've signed at 12 all day long. I'm telling you, all day long. I can sit here with a straight face and look at both of you and say, That same contract would've got it done in Colorado."

Mikko Rantanen ultimately signed an eight-year, $96 million contract with the Dallas Stars — an average annual value of $12 million. He entered this season as a pending unrestricted free agent in the final year of the six-year, $55.5 million deal he signed with the Avalanche in 2019.

Mikko Rantanen sits in a tie for the lead in playoff points

A dominant finish to the first-round series propelled Rantanen to the top of the playoff points leaderboard.

The 28-year-old racked up 12 points (five goals, seven assists) in seven games, with 11 of those coming in Games 5 through 7. He’s currently tied with Toronto’s William Nylander and Winnipeg’s Kyle Connor, who also have 12 points apiece.

He's continued to build on his impressive postseason resume. Most importantly, he’s now aiming to win his second Stanley Cup, this time as a member of the Dallas Stars.

Mikko Rantanen and the Stars begin their second-round series against the Jets with Game 1 on Wednesday in Winnipeg. The puck drops at 9:30 p.m. EST at Canada Life Centre.