The Dallas Stars are still waiting to learn more about the status of star defenseman Miro Heiskanen.
Heiskanen is scheduled to have an MRI for a lower-body injury Friday, Stars GM Jim Nill told The Dallas Morning News Friday morning. They expect to know more before Saturday’s final home game of the season against the New York Rangers.
Heiskanen made an early exit from the Stars’ first-round playoff preview matchup against the Minnesota Wild on Thursday. He exited the game after taking a hit into the boards from Minnesota’s Ryan Hartman toward the end of the first period.
His right leg appeared to bend awkwardly after the hit. He was able to skate off the ice under his own power but left the Stars’ bench with a trainer and headed down into the tunnel. He never returned.
Stars coach Glen Gulutzan didn’t have much of an update to offer after the game, other than that he didn’t think Heiskanen would play in Saturday’s game against New York.
Nill also provided The News an update on Roope Hintz, who has played in just one game since the Olympic break due to a lower-body injury. Nill said Hintz, who they once thought would make his return late in the regular season, is still considered week-to-week and out for the remainder of the regular season.
“We’ll get a better read here,” Nill said. “We’re kind of just going week by week with him and seeing where he’s at.”
Nill said he does not yet know whether Hintz will be available for Game 1 of the first round of the postseason.
Four other Stars players are still injured — Radek Faksa (lower body), Michael Bunting (lower body), Nathan Bastian (hand) and Sam Steel (groin/hip flexor). Nils Lundkvist is also still dealing with an illness.
Faksa and Bunting are expected to play in multiple games before the playoffs, with Gulutzan saying Bunting could be available as soon as Saturday.
Steel is considered day-to-day, and the Stars hope he will return for the regular-season finale in Buffalo Wednesday.
Bastian is on the longest timeline of all, still weeks away from returning.