Stars’ Lian Bichsel Sustains Lower-Body Injury

The Dallas Stars will need to shake up their blue line after defenseman Lian Bichsel left Thursday’s matchup against the Winnipeg Jets with a lower-body injury. Bichsel ran into Stars defenseman Esa Lindell and Jets forward Mark Scheifele. The collision sent all three players to the ice – but Bichsel was unable to put weight on his left leg and needed helped off the ice.

Stars’ head coach Glen Gulutzan told the media, including NHL.com’s Robert Tiffin, that Bichsel is likely to miss both games this weekend while Dallas assesses his injury. That timeline will make Bichsel’s return a top question as Dallas prepares for a two-game road-trip to the Vegas Golden Knights next week. Dallas returns from that trip next Sunday, which could be Bichsel’s secondary target if he misses the Vegas trip.

Bichsel has assumed a quiet role on the Stars’ blue line this season. He has recorded just one point, 16 penalty minutes, and 39 hits in 17 games. Injuries are becoming a recurring issue for the 22 year old, after he missed 32 games with a separate lower-body injury last season.

With Dallas already down top defender Miro Heiskanen, Bichsel’s absence will require a call-up to fill. This could be another chance for the Stars to prop up a young defender, with prospects Tristan Bertucci and Jack Anderson representing left-hand options in the AHL. Dallas is already rolling out rookie Trey Taylor, who could get a boost in minutes in Bichsel’s absence. Taylor has yet to score through the first four games of his NHL career. Should the Stars prefer a more veteran option, right-shot defender Kyle Burroughs would likely be top on the call-up sheet. Burroughs has played in 201 NHL games, marked by 22 points and 216 penalty minutes, across his 11-year pro career.