Emery Martin IRL

I want to start this by saying I'm a Dallas Stars fan. Have been since 1998. My non-sports friends now understand the offside rule because of my dedication to the Stars.

Way back last year, when the Stars org traded Logan Stankoven for Mikko Rantanen, I wasn't super excited about the change. I'd seen Mikko as an Avs player, and since they're as close to rivals as we have, I wasn't impressed. (Clarification: The entire league hates the Stars. We are treated as everyone's rivals.) I like Stankoven. I liked the way he played with Wyatt Johnston. They made such a great pair on the ice - young, talented, eager. I was excited about the future of the Stars with these guys as the Next Big Thing, much like Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin had been. So when Stankoven was traded, I Wasn't Happy.

Of course now, I love Rantanen. I adore how he fit into our Finnish Mafia, how he works with the lines. Doesn't matter where you put him, who he's on the line with, he makes plays. He sets his teammates up for success, time and again. He's worked with Johnston, making him a more physical player, or giving him the support to know he can be a more defensive player. And he's right in the middle, between our older guys and our young guys. He has experience, but still has the energy and drive to do some truly insane shit on the ice.

That said, I miss Stankoven. I've watched him blossom with the Hurricanes. With that organization, he's had opportunities he never would've had with the Stars, simply because of the talent on both teams, and the system differences between the way Rod Brind'Amour and Glen Gulutzan coach. I'm proud of him. I'm excited for him. I want to see what he can do in the years to come.

Am I happy about the trade? I don't know. I think it was an opportunity for both players to show what they could do, and shine while doing it. I think it was the best situation for both of them. But, I hope Logan Stankoven knows that he'll always be a Dallas Star, and that we were rooting for him.