Stars' Jamie Benn getting closer to making season debut

The Dallas Stars are only a few days away from the return of their captain. Team radio host Bruce LeVine reported earlier that Jamie Benn has been upgraded to a day-to-day recovery timeline, and there was even a brief discussion of him playing this evening.

Dallas has been without Benn through the first quarter of the regular season. The longtime captain has missed due to a collapsed lung suffered during the team’s preseason. It’s highly uncharacteristic of Benn, who had only missed two regular-season contests since the start of the 2021-22 NHL season.

Even without their captain, the Stars have gotten off to a solid start to the 2025-26 season with an 11-4-3 record. Dallas quickly signed Benn to a one-year, performance-laden contract in what could be the last of his NHL career. Last season, Benn finished sixth on the team in scoring with 16 goals and 49 points in 80 games.

Other notes from the Central Division:

• Staying in Dallas, Owen Newkirk of DLLS Sports reports that defenseman Nils Lundkvist is expected to resume skating fairly soon. Unfortunately, despite the positive update, Lundkvist remains a ways away from returning to the active roster. The 25-year-old blueliner has been sidelined for the past month with a lower-body injury, and has one goal and three points in four games on the season.
• Moving to where the Stars originated from, the Minnesota Wild are dealing with some injury troubles up front. The Wild announced that veteran winger Vladimir Tarasenko will miss Saturday night’s contest with a lower-body injury. The two-time Stanley Cup winner has gotten off to a relatively decent start, scoring two goals and 10 points in 18 games.