Getting Miro Heiskanen back in the lineup tonight feels like that scene in Avengers: Endgame where Falcon radios in, “On your left” to Captain America. The Stars have been hanging in the playoffs without their elite defenseman, and tonight he will return in front of the home crowd to a thunderous cheer. There's nothing better than getting your shut-down defenseman back right before a pivotal game in the series tonight. Here are some questions you might have about Miro Tonight.
Breaking: The Dallas Stars have activated defenseman Miro Heiskanen from IR, the team announced on Tuesday.
— ESPN (@espn) May 13, 2025
Heiskanen hasn't played since January 28 after suffering a knee injury. pic.twitter.com/JelAMEVTS6
Miro Heiskanen Return: How do you put him into the lineup without disrupting the chemistry?
That's a good question because Alexander Petrovic is not coming out of the lineup after being Lian Bichsel's partner on the blue line. The Stars might try going with an 11-7 lineup tonight against the Jets. It's one of Pete DeBoer's ideas during the press conference this morning. My guess is that is what they will do while giving Mikko Rantanen double the shifts because of how he's playing in the playoffs so far. With the scoring depth the Jets have in their lineup, this might be able to slow them down.
Miro Heiskanen Return: How many minutes will Miro get?
I bet he won't get 35 minutes tonight because it's his first game back. No need to play him to the point of collapse with how the team is playing at home during the playoffs. I would say 15-20 minutes would be suitable for him tonight. That's enough for him to be a factor in shutting down the Jets in the Stars' zone. Esa Lindell and Thomas Harley have done a great job in this series, so there's no need to rush Miro back to his original minutes.
Miro Heiskanen Return: Who sits out to put Miro back in the lineup?
That's something only DeBoer can answer going into tonight's game. If he wants to go with an 11-7 lineup tonight, more than likely, a forward will be benched tonight. Which forward gets scratched from the lineup is anyone's guess. That's what I love about all the depth the Stars have this season. The Stars could give someone the night off if needed because of all the talent up and down their lineup. We will see who has the short straw around game time tonight.
Miro Heiskanen Return: What can we expect from Miro tonight?
I expect he won't be up to regular game speed tonight. He will still be an effective defenseman, but now at full speed. Miro is going to try his best to help the Stars get the puck away from Jake Oettinger and move it up the ice to the Jets' zone. It might take Heiskanen a few games to return to his usual self. While I expect him to help out defensively tonight, don't expect a highlight-reel performance. Just be glad the Stars are gaining a key player at the right time tonight.