Plenty of Dallas Stars fans have learned to Trust the ‘Stache in the past several years. But GM Jim Nill’s trade for Mikael Granlund is showing results in ways we may not have thought about.
Stars senior staff writer Mike Heika explores the instant impact of the newest Finnish mafioso in his latest feature, written after Team Finland exited the 4 Nations Face-Off:
The recent Stars acquisition has been rolling at a seemingly nonstop pace since being traded by San Jose on Feb. 1. He boarded a flight for Dallas along with fellow teammate Cody Ceci that afternoon and made his Stars debut the following night. The two had their first official practice and flight with the team the next day as they traveled to California for a three-game set. Immediately after the trip concluded, Granlund flew to Montreal for the 4 Nations Face-Off. And after Team Finland wrapped up tournament play on Monday in Boston, he will meet the Stars in Manhattan on Friday as they resume play with a three-game road trip up north.
In other words, he will spend a mere handful of hours in his new home of the DFW metroplex during his first month with the organization. It couldn’t get much more chaotic than that, right?
“Well, my first time when I got traded from Minnesota to Nashville, my firstborn baby was born the same day. This feels way easier than that,” Granlund said with a laugh.
Granlund, of course, has spent much of his career in the Central Division — but Heika makes the case that he’s begun the most significant part of that journey to date:
The 9th overall pick in 2010 is on pace to hit both 900 games and 600 points before the regular season ends. He’s also in line to play a pivotal role in a vaunted Dallas attack as the Stanley Cup Playoffs come into focus. The Stars have a knack for bringing in the right player at the right time, and the hope is that Granlund will be a main part of the next chapter as Dallas continues its chase.
Not too shabby for a guy who hasn’t even donned a Victory Green jersey yet.
There’s much more at Mike’s place — including pertinent video clips like this one. [Dallas Stars]
🌟 Bright Stars 🌟
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) February 15, 2025
Stanley Cup Champion Star Guy Carbonneau presented current Star Mikael Granlund as today's FIN-SWE Player of the Game 👏#4Nations x #TexasHockey pic.twitter.com/uZyLo1Yg64
Stars Stuff
Team Finland is finished with its 4 Nations duties…but the pride of the Stars is forever.
Greetings From Scenic Cedar Park!
The Texas Stars are riding a rocket right now. Chris Chambers of 100 Degree Hockey takes a good look at three factors that have brought them to the top of the AHL’s Central Division.
Chris Chambers writes about the factors that have the Texas Stars leading the Central Division.
— 100 Degree Hockey (@100degreehockey.bsky.social) January 17, 2025 at 4:17 PM
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Finally
Will we see Jake Oettinger in the big USA-Canada showdown tomorrow night? He has only one less win in the tournament than Connor Hellebuyck, after all. Here’s to hoping.