Dallas Stars coach Glen Gulutzan gave some injury updates on a pair of his top skaters Tuesday morning ahead of a matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights at American Airlines Center.
Gulutzan told reporters that forward Mikko Rantanen skated Monday for the first time since his Olympic return. He suffered a lower-body injury late in Finland’s semifinal matchup with Canada on Feb. 20, which led to his absence from the bronze medal game against Slovakia and every Stars game since.
The Stars are hopeful Rantanen could return to action in the “2-2.5 week range.”
Additionally, per Gulutzan, Roope Hintz isn’t expected to require surgery for the lower-body injury he suffered last week against the Colorado Avalanche.
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“Nothing surgical, so that’s a real big plus,” Gulutazan said. ”Hopefully, we stay on that week-to-week timeline and hopefully he can play before the playoffs.”
Rantanen — who joined the team ahead of last season’s trade deadline and signed an eight-year, $96 million deal at the time — was Dallas’ leader in points up until his injury with 69 (20 goals and 49 assists) in 54 games this season.
Against Colorado, Hintz was in his first game back from injured reserve after he missed a week due to an illness. He has 15 goals and 29 assists in 52 games for Dallas this season.