Leading goal-scorer, top-pair defenseman each missed 1st Round with lower-body injury
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DALLAS – Jason Robertson and Miro Heiskanen, who each missed the entire Western Conference First Round for the Dallas Stars, are expected to return from injury in the second round, though coach Pete DeBoer is not certain when that will be.
“I believe you’re going to see them both play in the second round, but I don’t know if it’s going to be Game 1 or Game 3 or Game 5,” DeBoer said after eliminating the Colorado Avalanche in Game 7 on Saturday. “I consider them both day-to-day now, but there’s still some hurdles. It depends on when we start the series, how much time we have between now and Game 1. We’ll have a little better idea as we get closer.”
The Stars will play the winner of Sunday’s Game 7 between the Winnipeg Jets and St. Louis Blues (7 p.m. ET; CBC, TVAS, SN, TBS, MAX, FDSNMW).
“You take two key players out of anybody’s lineup and your team looks different. What I liked about it was, we look different, but we found a way, and that’s the most important part,” DeBoer said. “To take the two guys out of our lineup, and what they mean to us in every facet of how we play, and still find a way for the group to not use it as an excuse and keep battling and to grind. I couldn’t be prouder of our group because we had to do it a different way.”
Robertson sustained a lower-body injury in the regular-season finale, a 5-1 loss to the Nashville Predators on Apr. 16. Initially considered week-to-week, the 25-year-old forward led Dallas with 35 goals in 82 games and was third with 80 points behind Mikko Rantanen (88) and Matt Duchene (82).
Heiskanen sustained a knee injury when he collided with Vegas Golden Knights forward Mark Stone on Jan. 28 and missed the final 32 games of the regular season after undergoing surgery on Feb. 4. The initial timeline for his recovery was three to four months. The 25-year-old defenseman had 25 points (five goals, 20 assists) in 50 games while averaging 25:10 of ice time per game, the fifth-most among defensemen in the NHL.
“When you lose two guys like that that are as important to our team as those two guys are, not many teams are getting through that,” Stars forward Wyatt Johnston said. “I think it just shows the resiliency and the depth that we have. Everyone had to step up and cover those holes. It was awesome. Hopefully, we get them back as soon as possible because even though we can help try to fill those holes, they’re two amazing players.”
