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Mikael Granlund's game four performance for Stars sends Penguins fans into outrage

Not long ago Granlund was on the Penguins after coming over in a trade from the Nashville Predators. Fast forward and he is making major contributions on the Dallas Stars, and it has Penguins fans questioning things.
ByTyler Miller|
May 13, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Stars center Mikael Granlund (64) tosses a puck to a fan after the Stars defeat the Winnipeg Jets in game four of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
May 13, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Stars center Mikael Granlund (64) tosses a puck to a fan after the Stars defeat the Winnipeg Jets in game four of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Every Penguins fan remembers the day that Ron Hextall decided to panic and trade a second-round pick to the Nashville Predators for Mikael Granlund. If you were somebody like me, you were working night shift at your full-time job, get the notification this happened, and freak out in a bad way.

Granlund was not having the best season for the Predators and Hextall panicked and made this move and Penguins fans were upset about it. And when he played for the Penguins, he was playing third-line minutes next to Jeff Carter and Kasperi Kapanen.

Fast forward to 2025, Granlund is scoring a hat trick in the playoffs for the Dallas Stars and Penguins fans were wondering where this production was when he was in Pittsburgh.

Granlund was not used right in Pittsburgh and is being used right in Dallas

If hockey fans watched Granlund his whole career, he would play top six minutes next to star players and produce as every season came and went. But when he came to Pittsburgh and played for MIke Sullivan, Sullivan stashed him in the bottom six and on the second powerplay unit.

Putting him in the bottom six and on the second powerplay unit, is why he did not produce the way that Penguins fans wanted. Dallas is putting him in the top six and rotates him between the first and second powerplay units.

Dallas has a good head coach and knows how to deploy his player. Granlund came over to Dallas from San Jose in a trade at the NHL Trade Deadline and has excelled in his role as his Stars are one win away from the Western Conference Final.

Penguins fans should be happy for Granlund and not upset with how he performs in Dallas

It is easy as a Penguins fan to get upset when former players excel when they are traded or sign with other teams. Jordan Staal, Evan Rodrigues, etc, you get the picture.

So instead of being upset at Granlund for getting a hat trick in game four, Penguins fans should be happy for him. Yes, he did not work out in Pittsburgh due to a deployment issue, but be happy that the guy is doing well with his new team and is chasing the Stanley Cup.

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