With their win against the Seattle Kraken last night, the Dallas Stars are heading to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the fourth season in a row. It's a fantastic site to see, given all the injuries the Stars had to dodge and jump over, which is a big question to get to this point. From Tyler Seguin missing most of the season to all the pucks to the face injuries the Stars have endured, they deserve to celebrate the first step towards the Stanley Cup. However, there's a big question that still looms with the playoffs right around the corner.
The question on everyone's mind is when Tyler Seguin and Miro Heiskanen will return to the lineup. It's a tricky question because of salary cap issues and the risk of being re-injured. Those are things the Stars consider when inserting them into the lineup. With two and a half weeks in the regular season, there's still time to consider these scenarios. Let's review some of the main questions that are on everyone's minds right now.
Miro and Tyler Injuries: Are they skating right now?
First off, both players are skating at the moment. Seguin has been on the current road trip skating with the team. That is the next step to determine whether he will be put back into the lineup before game 1 of the playoffs. As for Heiskanen, according to Pete DeBoer, he just resumed skating, so his timetable is a bit different than Seguin's. There's still a possibility Heiskanen could return for game 1 of the playoffs, but that will be determined by how well he progresses on the ice.
Miro and Tyler Injuries: Are they eligible for a conditioning stint with the Texas Stars?
Both players can be sent down to Cedar Park without going through waivers to play some games. Both players must agree to the conditioning loan before it even gets processed. Since both are on the LTIR right now, they could stay down there for only six days and play in three games in Cedar Park. The Stars can ask the league for an extension of the stint, and usually they are granted. It's a way for the Stars to work around the LTIR and not have to juggle the salary cap if they activate one off the LTIR.
Miro and Tyler Injuries: What happens if they get activated during the regular season?
Well, that's when the salary cap gymnastics begin. They would have to make enough cap room for either player to return during the regular season. That means someone would have to get sent down to the AHL until the regular season is over. That means Mavirk Bourque and Lian Bichsel would be obvious candidates to travel down to Cedar Park. It stinks to send anyone down there to fit Seguin or Heiskanen onto the roster.
The Stars aren't considering this option with the new Mikko Rantanen extension. My best guess is they would use the conditioning stint to get them some games in before the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin. The last thing they want to do is put them in the middle of a game against a physical team, and they get hurt again. They also wouldn't have to deal with the salary cap gymnastics. I'm sure they are trying to keep a "poker face," not to give away to Colorado or St. Louis, they will be ready for game 1.
Miro and Tyler Injuries: Conclusion
Fans should relax and enjoy the remaining games of the regular season before the stress increases. I'm sure both will return to the lineup, it's just a matter of how to do it without dealing with salary Cap Gymnastics. Seguin and Heiskanen are making positive strides, and that's all you can ask for. The Stars are on a winning streak without them, so there's no rush to bring them back. Just relax when the Stars return to action tomorrow against the Seattle Kraken.