DALLAS – Mikko Rantanen will face his former team, the Colorado Avalanche, in Game 1 of the Western Conference First Round against the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center on Saturday. The forward, who ranks fourth in Avalanche history with 101 points, has a strong history against the Stars, scoring 17 points in 14 games and five points in six playoff games last season.
Rantanen played for the Avalanche until January 24 when he was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes. He then joined the Stars on March 7 and signed an eight-year contract worth $96 million.
The Avalanche are expected to have nine players return from injury, including forwards Ross Colton and Nathan MacKinnon. However, captain Gabriel Landeskog is uncertain due to a knee injury.
The Stars’ defensemen Miro Heiskanen and Jason Robertson will not play in Game 1 due to injuries. Heiskanen played in the morning skate after missing 32 games with a lower-body injury, while Robertson is week to week with a similar injury sustained during the regular-season finale.
Source: https://www.nhl.com/news/colorado-avalanche-dallas-stars-game-1-preview-april-19