STWF Sports | FRISCO, Texas | May 7, 2026 — Mikko Rantanen was far from fully healthy during the stretch run of the 2026 NHL season, and according to Jim Nill, the injury significantly impacted the star forward’s ability to perform at his usual elite level for the Dallas Stars.

Mikko Rantanen’s Impact on the Dallas Stars Season

Speaking during the organization’s season-ending media availability Thursday, Nill revealed that Rantanen sustained a torn MCL in his knee while representing Finland during the Winter Olympics in February.

The injury sidelined Rantanen for 15 games before he returned late in the regular season to help Dallas attempt another playoff run.

While Rantanen battled through the injury to get back on the ice, Nill acknowledged the All-Star winger never truly regained full form.

“Major injury. Came back, he’s very competitive,” Nill said. “Did he come back too soon? Not too soon, but would have been nice to have one or two more weeks to really settle in. He never really got going again.”

Before suffering the injury during Finland’s bronze-medal campaign, Rantanen had been producing at a superstar level.

In 54 games prior to the Olympics, the Finnish forward recorded 20 goals and 49 assists while serving as one of the driving forces behind Dallas’ push toward the postseason.

The Stars had invested heavily in Rantanen after acquiring him in a blockbuster deadline trade last season before signing him to a massive eight-year, $96 million extension. The move appeared fully justified after Rantanen delivered a dominant postseason in 2025, posting nine goals and 13 assists in 18 playoff games as Dallas reached the Western Conference Final for a third consecutive year.

This season unfolded far differently.

After returning from the knee injury, Rantanen managed just two goals and six assists across the final 10 regular-season games. His production remained limited during Dallas’ disappointing first-round playoff exit against the Minnesota Wild, where he finished with one goal and six assists in six games.

Nill clarified that surgery will not be required for Rantanen, and the organization expects the offseason recovery period to allow him to fully heal entering next year.

Still, Rantanen’s injury was only one chapter in what became a physically brutal season for Dallas.

The Stars never once iced a completely healthy lineup throughout the regular season or playoffs, according to Nill.

“We never had one game where we had a full lineup this whole season and the playoffs,” Nill said. “Hard to believe, I’ve never seen that before.”

The list of injuries across the roster became staggering by season’s end.

Top-line center Roope Hintz missed significant time after tearing his left hamstring in two places during a March game shortly after recovering from illness following the Olympics.

Veteran forward Tyler Seguin had already been lost earlier in the year because of an ACL injury suffered in December.

On the blue line, Dallas lost star defenseman Miro Heiskanen late in the regular season due to an oblique tear before he later sprained his ankle during the playoffs.

Forward Radek Faksa endured perhaps the most unusual injury sequence of all. After suffering a concussion during Olympic play, Faksa later sustained a severe skate laceration to his foot while nearing a return to action. Though he managed to play through the postseason, Nill admitted additional surgery could still be necessary.

Midseason acquisition Michael Bunting appeared in only one playoff game because of a groin injury, while defenseman Nils Lundkvist narrowly avoided catastrophic injury after taking a skate blade to the face during Game 4 against Minnesota.

Nill described Lundkvist as “a very lucky man,” noting the defenseman required stitches both internally and externally while also suffering a concussion.

Now, Dallas enters a critical offseason filled with major roster decisions.

Star winger Jason Robertson is eligible to become a restricted free agent after scoring 45 goals, while longtime captain Jamie Benn continues evaluating whether he will return for an 18th NHL season — all with Dallas.

Despite the difficult finish to the year, the Stars organization believes health alone could dramatically alter the outlook moving forward.

And if Rantanen returns fully recovered, Dallas could once again feature one of the NHL’s most dangerous offensive cores entering the 2026-27 season