The Dallas Stars placed winger Mikko Rantanen on injured reserve Tuesday, just two days before the Stars return to NHL play following a league-wide, three-week hiatus because of the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Rantanen suffered a lower-body injury in Team Finland's semifinal loss to Canada on Friday. Dallas did not provide a timetable for Rantanen's return to the lineup, though. The 29-year-old did not play in Finland's bronze-medal win against Slovakia. Stars coach Glen Gulutzan said after Monday's practice that he expected Rantanen to miss a couple of games, at least.
Rantanen leads the Stars in points with 69 (20 goals) in 54 games. Gulutzan will have to shake up all of his lines, probably, ahead of the Stars' first game back from break on Wednesday against the Seattle Kraken. Center Radek Faksa is questionable with an upper-body injury.
The NHL returns this week, and so does the #MMPPQB. A lot will revolve around the status of Mikko Rantanen...
— Brien Rea (@BrienRea) February 23, 2026
- What will life look like without Rantanen?
- The first thing to watch as #TexasHockey resumes play?
- A key line combo with Rantanen out... pic.twitter.com/dcr15ltY04
That likely means Mavrik Bourque slides up to the first line for Rantanen on the right wing. Jason Robertson and Roope Hintz are expected to get the call on the left and center. That is, if Hintz can get over his cold in the next 36 hours. If Faksa can't play, all four of the usual rotating cast of scratches would make it into the lineup, as well. Wingers Adam Erne and Nathan Bastian watched the most games from the press box this season, having played in 24 games apiece.
The Stars head back into play sitting in third place in the Central Division of the Western Conference. They're one point behind second-place Minnesota and six points behind the division-leading Avalanche. The good news for the Stars is that their first four games back - four games ahead of the NHL trade deadline - come against teams with 63 points or less. Two of the games will be played against Vancouver, which has the fewest points in the NHL, and the Flames, who sit just one spot ahead of the Canucks in the Pacific Division standings.
Dallas is also likely to be without goalie Jake Oettinger for the first game back against the Kraken, as he and gold-medal-winning Team USA have been invited to attend the State of the Union address in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday. Don't be shocked if the lineup looks a bit funky on Wednesday night at the American Airlines Center. There are plenty of talented players who didn't go to the Olympics who can cover the glaring absences for a game or two. Let the games begin!