The Dallas Stars were finalizing their game plan for Thursday's road opener in Winnipeg. I'm excited to see the beginning of the season start on a strong note with a couple of wins against tough divisional opponents. However, at practice, there was one player that had a look on his face I hadn't seen in years, Jamie Benn. He is sidelined for at least October with a collapsed lung he sustained against the Minnesota Wild in preseason.
I know it's killing Benn not being able to play for at least a month. He wants to see his team succeed, and being on the sidelines is not where he envisioned starting the season. As a player whose career may be coming to an end soon, Benn wants to be suited up and help his team return to the playoffs to compete for the Stanley Cup. However, it will be a tough challenge for him to lead his team from the sidelines for a month.
Benn has been the captain for the Stars for a long time. He led the team through the playoff bubble when COVID-19 happened and was a couple of games shy of lifting the Stanley Cup back in 2020. He would rather be on the other side of the celebration and be able to ride off into the sunset with a Stanley Cup win. The last thing he wanted was to be sidelined with a collapsed lung. Luckily, the Stars caught it when they did, and this didn't turn into a bigger issue.
The tough challenge for Benn is beginning the season watching his team compete from the sidelines. A collapsed lung is not an injury that can be rushed back from, and you may not be ready to play next week. A significant amount of conditioning is required to prevent the lung from re-collapsing. It could even take longer than a month to return to action. Benn needs to take his time recovering because it could cause him to retire from the game that he loves to play. No Stars' fan wants to see that happen.
However, the league should watch out for Benn when he returns to action because he will make up for the time spent on the sidelines. He knows how close the Stars are to winning the Stanley Cup and will do everything in his power to get to the Stanley Cup Finals this season. For now, Benn needs to take it easy and follow the doctor's orders and coach from the sidelines. It's only a matter of time before Benn comes back and unleashes his fury on the league.