I feel really about publishing the article about the Four Nations Face-Off the other day. I was not expecting Miro Heiskanen to go down with a knee injury against the Golden Knights. I feel like I cursed Miro from playing in the tournament next month. However, I have to move on and keep reporting on the Stars this season. It will be a glaring hole in the lineup for the remainder of the season. Heiskanen does so much for the Stars on the ice during games that it's hard to replace him if he gets injured.
Dallas Stars General Manager Jim Nill is the one person who hasn't broken a sweat. He's been level-headed after Miro went down in Vegas the other night. After that collision, I would sweat whether my team was good enough to make the playoffs. The one thing the Stars' fanbase needs to understand is Nill prepared last offseason in cas something like this were to happen. There's a reason why he's a back-to-back GM of the Year Award winner.
By bringing up Kyle Capobianco, the Stars will see if they can focus on forwards at the trade deadline. He's a good puck-moving defenseman who can fill the void of Heiskanen while he recovers from his knee injury. While he doesn't score many goals, the Stars need a defenseman who can move the puck and set up other players. He was one of the players that Nill signed this past offseason. He has NHL experience with the Arizona Coyotes and the Winnipeg Jets.
Nill has signed a lot of other excellent prospects that could fill the void if the Stars lose another forward. Cameron Hughes and Antonio Stranges are just some players the Stars could call up for a short time. While I think Nill is preparing to make a splash at the trade deadline for a player like Alex Tuch, Nill has successfully prepared this team for injuries. I wouldn't be shocked if Nill ended up as a finalist for GM of the Year if the Stars could make the playoffs without their top defenseman in the lineup.
I have seen some fans panic on social media that making the playoffs this season is in jeopardy. I completely understand their anxiety with Heiskanen sidelined for most of the remainder of the regular season. It's a terrible time for your top defenseman to go down when you are inching closer to the top of the Central Division. If Nill is not panicking and rushing to make a trade, everyone should relax and see if Nill's free-agent signings can mask Heiskanen's absence in the lineup.