Into The Weeds: With an obnoxiously early analysis of how the deadline affects Dallas in the Central
Dallas won the deadline. But will they win the war?
Perhaps we’ve exhausted the discussion around Mikko Rantanen and what he means for Dallas’ future. For me, there’s no such thing. Between the trade itself, and the Jim Nill perspective—which I wrote about this morning for D Magazine—there’s no shortage of angles. Maybe it’s because we’ve had so much time to think about it, or maybe it’s just me and my brain is slow. But for Stars fans, don’t let the magnitude be lost on you. This may be the deepest forward group Dallas will ever see.
However, there’s still the war on ice. And the ice doesn’t care about paper transaction wins, or hype. It doesn’t care about your personal dreams or the Finnish mafia. It only cares about bounces. And Rantanen is not a certificate to get the right amount, even if it will increase the amount of bounces that go Dallas’ way.
What’s interesting about this year is that it’s the Central’s turn to hold the keys to the West. Last year it was patently clear that Vegas and Edmonton were the top dogs. This year, all roads lead to Winnipeg and Dallas. That’s certainly good news for Dallas insofar as you want to be the team to beat. But are they beatable? That’s the real question. And it’s the question we’ll explore today.
As always, check the paid post calendar to see what you missed. It’s usually prospect stuff, deep dives, and video analysis. Video analysis of Rantanen should be fun, so while it’s early, next week we’ll be in the film room for paid subscribers.