P.K. Subban Sounds Off on NHL Stars After Mikko Rantanen's Historic Game 7

Dallas Stars forward Mikko Rantanen’s performance in Game 7 against the Colorado Avalanche not only sent his team to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs but also sparked strong commentary from a former NHL standout.

Rantanen scored a historic third-period hat trick and added an assist as Dallas erased a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Avalanche 4-2 on Saturday night.

The 28-year-old finished the series with five goals and seven assists, including back-to-back four-point performances in Games 6 and 7, which nobody had done before.

Former NHL defenseman PK Subban, now an analyst for ESPN, chimed in on Rantanen’s historic outing while appearing on “NHL on ESPN,” highlighting such a performance to send a warning to other high-salary players across the league.

“First of all, I want to talk about (Rantanen) as a person, just a class act,” Subban said. “Everything from the trade to this point has been classy. For a lot of young players out there, that’s the way you conduct yourself.

“On top of that, (do) you want to get paid the big bucks in this league—$12, 11, 10, 13 million, whatever it is? This is what we expect from you.

“That’s the standard. You want to make the big bucks? If you’re coming out here and you’re dancing around the ice and don’t have these results, we’re going to say something about it.”

Subban continued to praise Rantanen’s impact, especially considering the context.

“This kid comes out—back-to-back four-point performances in the toughest games, on a new team, trying to prove to his teammates who he is.”

Dallas Stars forward Mikko Rantanen (96) smiles during a stop in play.Bob Frid-Imagn Images

Rantanen was traded from Colorado to Carolina in January and later flipped to Dallas before signing an eight-year, $96 million extension.

While Subban didn’t mention anyone by name, his comments were aimed at other high-profile, top-salary players in the NHL that doesn’t produce as much as those contracts suggest.

So far this postseason, through seven games played, Rantanen has 12 points (five goals, seven assists) with a minus-1 plus/minus valuation.

The Stars will now face either the Winnipeg Jets or St. Louis Blues in the second round.

News

P.K. Subban Sounds Off on NHL Stars After Mikko Rantanen’s Historic Game 7

Leave a Reply Cancel reply