Stars Suffer Setback with Mikko Rantanen Injury

Dallas forward likely out for over 2 weeks with lower-body injury

Published on Mar. 6, 2026

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The Dallas Stars have received unfortunate news regarding star forward Mikko Rantanen, who suffered a lower-body injury while playing for Finland at the Olympics. Rantanen is expected to be sidelined for at least 3-4 days before he can even begin skating again, and the team says he will likely be out for more than 2 weeks as he recovers.

Why it matters

Rantanen is a key player for the Stars, who are currently second in the Central Division and among the top teams in the Western Conference. His absence will be a significant blow as the Stars push for the playoffs, though the team does have other talented players who will need to step up in his absence.

The details

The Stars addressed Rantanen's injury shortly after the Olympic break, saying they would monitor his progress upon his return to the US. Recent updates indicate Rantanen will not be able to start skating for at least 3-4 days, and he is expected to be out for more than 2 weeks. Meanwhile, forward Radek Faksa is even further behind in his recovery from an Olympic injury, and there is uncertainty around whether defenseman Tyler Myers will be in the lineup for the team's upcoming game against the Colorado Avalanche.

  • Rantanen suffered the lower-body injury while playing for Finland at the Olympics.
  • The Stars provided an update on Rantanen's injury shortly after the Olympic break.
  • Rantanen is expected to be out for more than 2 weeks as he recovers.

The players

Mikko Rantanen

A star forward for the Dallas Stars who suffered a lower-body injury while playing for Finland at the Olympics.

Miro Heiskanen

A defenseman for the Dallas Stars who plays with Rantanen and commented on his injury.

Radek Faksa

A forward for the Dallas Stars who is also dealing with an injury from the Olympics and is further behind in his recovery than Rantanen.

Tyler Myers

A defenseman for the Dallas Stars whose status for the upcoming game against the Colorado Avalanche is uncertain.

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What they’re saying

“You don't want to see anybody go down, especially a guy like that. He's a huge part of this team and a huge part of the Dallas Stars. It's not fun to see that, but at the same time we have to focus on the game and we have a lot of great players here and we just stayed together and tried to do our best.”

— Miro Heiskanen, Defenseman (NHL.com)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This injury to Mikko Rantanen is a significant setback for the Dallas Stars, who are one of the top teams in the Western Conference. While the team has other talented players, Rantanen's absence will be felt as the Stars push for the playoffs. The team will need other key players to step up in his absence, and the recovery timelines of Faksa and Myers will also be important to monitor.