Because of their 3-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night time, the Dallas Stars took a commanding 3-1 collection lead of their second-round playoff collection and are only one win away from their third consecutive Western Convention Closing look. For a lot of the first two rounds, their massive trade-deadline addition, Mikko Rantanen, has been carrying the offense.
However for as nice — and dominant — as Rantanen has been, he isn’t the one midseason addition who’s making a huge impact for the Stars this postseason.
Veteran ahead Mikael Granlund, acquired in a commerce with the San Jose Sharks, can also be having an important postseason.
He performed his greatest sport of the playoffs in Tuesday’s win, offering the entire offense by recording a hat trick.
Together with his three objectives on Tuesday, Granlund is now as much as 4 objectives and 7 whole factors in 11 playoff video games, whereas bringing his Dallas totals (together with common season) to twenty-eight whole factors (11 objectives, 17 assists) in 42 video games.
It is not fairly the identical degree as what Rantanen or among the Stars’ different high gamers have executed, however it’s nonetheless a huge effect from a secondary scoring perspective.
It also needs to be thought-about a really nice shock for the Stars.
Dallas paid a big value to accumulate him, sending a first- and third-round choose to the Sharks for Granlund and defenseman Cody Ceci. Not solely is Granlund a pending free agent after this season, however there was some reputable concern that a few of his scoring manufacturing in San Jose was a little bit of a mirage.
Though he had led the Sharks in scoring in every of the previous two seasons, there have been some severe crimson flags along with his play. For one, he was getting essentially the most minutes and largest offensive function for a foul staff that had few scoring choices. Any person needed to get the factors for the Sharks. Granlund had proven vital indicators of slowing down in his profession earlier than arriving in San Jose, and there was good motive to consider he was simply feasting on favorable offensive conditions.
He additionally was not a lot of an affect participant defensively.
In brief: There have been some potential flaws, and given the value the Stars paid, it may have been an acquisition that rapidly went sideways for them.
However along with his efficiency on Tuesday — and since arriving in Dallas — he has silenced lots of the doubters. He might not be a top-line participant, however the Stars don’t want him to be. They’ve these — loads of them. They only wanted one other veteran ahead to have the ability to present some secondary and complementary scoring. He’s giving them that, and on Tuesday, he was the distinction in a pivotal sport in a collection towards the NHL’s Presidents’ Trophy-winning staff.
There may be nonetheless a protracted option to go within the playoffs, however it’s simple to say the Stars have been the massive winners of the NHL commerce deadline. Their two greatest additions are profitable video games all by themselves.
