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Stars Coach Issues Key Update on Miro Heiskanen’s Return Timeline

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Antonio Losada | Last updated May 13, 2025 6:52 AM ET

The Dallas Stars pulled ahead 2-1 in their second-round series against the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday night with a 5-2 win in Game 3.

On Monday, attention shifted from the team’s third-period breakout to a potential return by their top defenseman, Miro Heiskanen, who has been sidelined for months.

Speaking after an optional practice, head coach Pete DeBoer reiterated that Heiskanen is still expected to rejoin the lineup at some point in the series.

“I’m still sticking by what I projected, that we would see him in the second round,” DeBoer said.

Heiskanen hasn’t played since Jan. 28, when he sustained a left knee injury in a collision with Vegas forward Mark Stone. He underwent surgery in early February and has been ramping up his recovery of late.

DeBoer today on whether he expected Heiskanen back by now:

"I'm still sticking by what I projected, that we would see him in the second round." https://t.co/2EStsE2H8M
— Robert Tiffin (@RobertTiffin) May 12, 2025

DeBoer confirmed that Monday was a planned off day for the blue liner, thus his absence from the rink, adding that Heiskanen would be "back at it tomorrow."

While the 25-year-old remains day-to-day, DeBoer made clear that the Stars won't rush him back or put him under a heavy workload.

“I don’t think there are specific restrictions, but we’re not going to put ’im out on the ice for 30 minutes in his first game back in three months,” DeBoer said, per ESPN. “We’ll have to be smart about that.”

Heiskanen averaged over 25 minutes per game this season and tallied 25 points in 50 games. In his absence, Dallas’ blue line has responded by giving a larger role to Thomas Harley, now slotted in the first pair and coming off a scoring a Game 3 goal.

“I think it’s been exceptional what our group’s done,” DeBoer said about the defensive depth and all-around contributions.

Game 4 is set for Tuesday night in Winnipeg with puck drop set at 8:00 p.m. ET.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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