Believe it or not, there was a reported moose sighting in Texas in 2008.
It’s documented, both by Wildlife Informer and World Population Review, and thus, Texas is one of four states where moose sightings are classified as “very rare.”
The Colorado Avalanche would have liked to keep it that way, but there is a rather important figure named “Moose” waiting for them Saturday night at American Airlines Center in Dallas. This will be the third showdown with the Dallas Stars during the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the past six years.
It will be the first where Mikko Rantanen is one of the bad guys.
“Yeah,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said matter-of-factly when asked if facing Rantanen in the playoffs will be surreal. “It’s going to be different. But that’s his new home, and it’s going to be his new home for eight years. It’s the life of pro hockey and the business side of it sometimes.
“He’s going to be a big factor in this series, but it’s not just one player and one line. That’s a pretty deep team over there that we have to deal with.”
Rantanen had 287 goals and 681 points in 619 regular-season games for the Avalanche. He was also a trustworthy scorer in the postseason, collecting 34 goals and 100 points in 82 playoff contests.
Rantanen is a world-class player in the prime of his career. He was a homegrown inner-circle core player for a Stanley Cup contender.
Those types of players never get traded in the middle of a season when a team has Cup-or-bust expectations. When the Avs sent Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes on a Friday night in late January, it was arguably the most shocking NHL trade since Joe Thornton went to San Jose two decades ago.
What happened between Avs management and Rantanen’s representation was a topic of speculation and reporting for weeks after the deal.
“I still don’t really know what to make of it,” ESPN analyst Ray Ferraro said. “It seems like the perception of the stories from both camps were not even close to being on the same page for sure and they may not even be in the same chapter of the book. It’s funny — that trade, now that you bring it up — it feels like five years ago.”
Part of the reason for that is Colorado kept wheeling and dealing, remodeling a Cup-contending roster at an unprecedented rate.
Rantanen wasn’t done moving, either. He declined to sign a contract extension with the Hurricanes before the trade deadline, so one of the 10-15 best players in the world was traded again, and this time to the franchise that knocked the Avalanche out of the playoffs in 2020 and 2024.
The Avs faced Rantanen and the Stars at Ball Arena just eight days after the second trade. It was a surreal day, with plenty of mixed emotions in the seats and the Colorado locker room.
“I think it will still be weird for a little bit,” Avs defenseman Devon Toews said on Altitude Sports Radio earlier this week. “We’re going to have to get through that really quickly and just get to work. He’s a juggernaut. (We’ll) try to slow him down. I think he’s got one of the best points-per-game in the playoffs in history, I believe. We’ve got to do a really good job as a team of shutting him down, slowing him down.”
Now, the reality sets in. This will be the first time Colorado’s championship-winning core faces its old friend in a green uniform in a Stanley Cup Playoffs series. It is unlikely to be the last, given how deep and talented both clubs are and the eight-year, $96 million contract that Rantanen signed, which kicks in next season.
“I’m just really, really focused on this team,” Avs star Nathan MacKinnon said. “I’ve played against friends before. It is what it is.”
Rantanen has not been quite at his most dangerous self since leaving Denver. The underlying numbers were fantastic with Carolina, but he had just two goals and six points in 13 games. When he arrived at the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off, he looked a bit weary from all of the attention placed on whether or not he would sign with the Hurricanes.
He only has five goals in 20 games for the Stars, but also 18 points. And he’s been a proven playoff performer throughout his career.
The Avs are deeper after the trade. Martin Necas had 11 goals and 28 points in 30 games for the Avs. Jack Drury has been excellent as the No. 4 center. Colorado used Carolina’s second-round pick in the trade for Charlie Coyle.
So far, so good on the Avs’ end. But that could change in the next two weeks if “Moose” does get loose in Texas and helps the Stars send the Avalanche home yet again.
“This is your team now. What’s Necas going to be like in the playoffs?” Ferraro said. “He looks like he really enjoys playing in the system, but man, you’re taking out what has been proven performance in Rantanen. I think they did just fine in the trade, but you still don’t have Mikko Rantanen. I think he’s a very unique skill set for a player. There’s not many guys like him.”
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