The Dallas Stars got one of their best players back for Tuesday's Game 4 against the Winnipeg Jets, as top defenseman Miro Heiskanen returned to the lineup for the first time since Jan. 28.
The Stars activated Heiskanen from long-term injured reserve Tuesday afternoon.
Heiskanen sustained a serious knee injury after an awkward collision with Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone during the regular season.
Miro Heiskanen injured after this play by Mark Stone 😬 pic.twitter.com/Z4waa7atYv
— Brady Trettenero (@BradyTrett) January 29, 2025
The rearguard had surgery to address the issue in February and has since undergone a lengthy recovery process. He missed the Stars' last 32 games of the regular season, with the club going 18-9-5 in his absence.
Stars head coach Pete DeBoer said Monday that the Stars would "have to be smart" about how they deploy Heiskanen in his return.
"I don't think there are specific restrictions, but we're not going to put him out on the ice for 30 minutes in his first game back in three months," DeBoer said, according to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski.
Dallas bested the Colorado Avalanche in seven contests in the opening round without Heiskanen and winger Jason Robertson, who re-entered the fold in Game 1 against the Jets after getting injured in the regular-season finale.
Heiskanen recorded five goals and 25 points in 50 outings during the regular season while averaging a team-leading 25:10 minutes of ice time per matchup.
Blue-liner Thomas Harley has shouldered the brunt of the workload without Heiskanen in these playoffs, playing 27:11 per night while chipping in with three goals and eight points in 10 contests.
