Oilers' Connor McDavid gets 100% real about facing Dallas Stars & Mikko Rantanen in Stanley Cup Round 3 

Connor McDavid shared his honest thoughts on the Dallas Stars and Mikko Rantanen on Sunday as the Edmonton Oilers prepare to face them in the Western Conference Final. The Stars reached the conference finals after beating the Winnipeg Jets in six games. Thomas Harley scored the overtime winner in Game 6 on the power play, and goalie Jake Oettinger made 22 saves.

McDavid called Dallas a deep team with strong players at every position.

[0:09] "Obviously a really deep team in the conference final," McDavid said. "So, you know, everybody's going to be a good team, but they got scoring all over. I think Robert said, you know, eight twenty-goal scorers, something like that, incredibly deep, good D, great goalie and a really good team. Bigger test."

McDavid also talked about Dallas forward Mikko Rantanen, who joined the team at the trade deadline.

"I think Rantanen helps, obviously, he's played really well," McDavid said. "Apparently, seems to be really clicking. He’s got a big goal last night so yeah it's going to be tough, but we're excited for the challenge."

Mikko Rantanen has played a big role for the Stars since arriving in Dallas in March. He was traded from the Carolina Hurricanes, who acquired him from the Colorado Avalanche in January.

During the 2024–25 regular season, Rantanen had 32 goals and 56 assists. His 88 points tied for 15th in league scoring, and the 28-year-old Finnish winger has been a consistent top-line player. He plays over 20 minutes a game and has a +1 rating with 19 points in 13 playoff games.

McDavid also talked about Rantanen's impact in the upcoming series.

[2:28] "He's a big man," McDavid said. "He's really smart, good in battles, sees the ice really well. He's been doing it for a really long time as well. You know, he's a perennial 100-point guy. Scores 50 goals. So he's a great player who we'll need to keep an eye on throughout the series."

Mikko Rantanen's spectacular playoff run this postseason

Mikko Rantanen has had a wild playoff run this year. He scored eight goals and 14 points in a run of four games between the first two series. In Game 7 of round 1 against his former team, the Colorado Avalanche, he scored a third-period hat trick and an assist. He became the first NHL player to score a hat trick in the third period of a Game 7.

Colorado traded Mikko Rantanen to the Hurricanes after failing to agree on a new contract. And so far in the playoffs, Rantanen has scored 9 goals and 10 assists in the playoffs. He has also scored another hat trick in Game 1 against Winnipeg.

Now, the Oilers will face the Stars in Game 1 on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET. It is a rematch of last season’s Western Conference Final. This is Dallas' third straight trip to the conference final.