Ex-NHLer can’t compare Mikko Rantanen to anyone except one legendary NHL great and it's not Wayne Gretzky

Former NHL player Craig Ludwig shared strong praise for Dallas Stars forward Mikko Rantanen on the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast. He said he cannot compare Rantanen to anyone, not even legend Wayne Gretzky. The only exception he mentioned was Mario Lemieux.

Ludwig said Lemieux had rare size (6 ft 4 in, 107 kg), strength, and skill. He believes Mikko Rantanen (6 ft 4 in, 98 kg) shows similar traits in today’s game.

"I can't compare him to anybody I played with, or, I mean, the guy, to me, I don't think he got enough credit, was Mario Lemieux," Ludwig said. "Like, I've said this before. I even said it to Gretzky when he was in college. You know, I know Gretzky is the greatest guy to have ever played this game, but for me, Mario was that guy."

Ludwig told a story about trying to stop Lemieux years ago. He grabbed Lemieux to take a penalty, but Lemieux did not move. Instead, Lemieux carried him and still scored a goal. Ludwig said that the play showed Lemieux’s power.

"So for me, his size, vision, his hands, everything that he did (stood out)," Ludwig said.

Ludwig said Rantanen has the same type of ability in his own era.

"But like when it goes to Rantanen, the things that he does, and he's gonna put up another 100 plus points around here or more with with this group that he has, if they all stay healthy," Ludwig said.

Mikko Rantanen is having a strong season with the Stars. He has 26 points in 19 games this year. He plays more than 21 minutes per game on the wing and has scored 9 goals.

"I don't know a guy that can - that in this era or my era, our era - I don't remember a guy that could do the same things that he can," Ludwig said. "Because, again, the reason I think I say that is because I'm sitting here going, 'He is the best player', I personally have to sit and have the privilege to watch every single night."

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Reason why Ludwig sees Lemieux-like qualities in Mikko Rantanen

Mario Lemieux, the player Ludwig mentioned, is a Hall of Famer. He won multiple major awards and two Stanley Cups (1991, 1992) as a player. He scored 690 goals and 1,033 assists in his career. He is considered one of the best players ever, and Ludwig’s comparison shows how highly he views Rantanen.

Meanwhile, Mikko Rantanen started his NHL career with the Colorado Avalanche. He had several 90-point seasons there. His best year was with 55 goals and 105 points in 2022-23. He followed that with 44 goals and 104 points the next year. He was traded twice in 2024-25 before joining Dallas. He now has 303 goals and 731 career points in 671 games.

So, considering Rantanen's performance, he is certainly one of the NHL's elite forwards in today's era, like Lemieux in his time.

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Edited by Ankit Kumar