The Dallas Stars are embroiled in the best division race in the NHL. After trading for Mikko Rantanen, Dallas is chasing down the Colorado Avalanche and Winnipeg Jets in the Central Division. But they are doing it without their top defenseman. Stars coach Pete DeBoer announced that Miro Heiskanen may be out for the start of the playoffs.
“That’s a realistic possibility,” DeBoer said about Heiskanen missing the first round, per NHL.com’s Taylor Baird.
“We’re going to get Colorado, Winnipeg, somebody really good in the first round [of the playoffs]; that’s a given,” DeBoer said. “On paper, we’re going to have similar lineups to whoever we’re playing. So that chemistry, that team identity, all those things you’re trying to establish down the stretch are going to be the things that hopefully separate you from whoever you’re playing at that time of the year because there’s not going to be a lot of skill separation on paper.”
Heiskanen has been out since January 28 with a lower-body injury but the Stars have stayed afloat without him. They are 10-4-2 and have clipped the Minnesota Wild in the standings. But as DeBoer says, their playoff opponent will be one of the top teams in the league.
The Stars need Miro Heiskanen to win in the playoffs
The Stars have been one of the top teams in the Western Conference over the past four years. The Avalanche and Golden Knights have won their Cups, but Dallas has not. Winnipeg is the only team in this tier that has not been to the Cup Final. But Dallas lost its trip in 2020 and is due to get back with the best roster they have put together in this generation.
Behind Heiskanen, the Stars have a great defensive core. But without their top guy, they will struggle to keep the league’s best offenses at bay for seven games. Heiskanen also missed the 4 Nations Face-Off for Team Finland, where they went 1-2 and did not make the final.
DeBoer did share positive injury news this week. Forward Tyler Seguin is expected to return for the playoffs after hip surgery that has put him on the sidelines since December. If Seguin and Heiskanen are back, the Stars could be Western Conference playoff favorites.
The Stars should focus on securing their playoff spot and keeping everyone healthy. Surviving a tough first-round matchup without Heiskanen would be tough but if they pulled it off, this could be the year for the Stars.
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