DALLAS 鈥� Dallas Stars defenceman Miro Heiskanen was expected to return to the lineup for Game 4 against the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night.
Head coach Pete DeBoer said he anticipated Heiskanen would play if all went well at the Stars' morning skate.
"He's the best defenceman in the NHL in my opinion," said Stars goalie Jake Oettinger. "Whenever you can insert a guy like that it's obviously a huge boost."
The Stars' top-pair blueliner has missed over three months after undergoing knee surgery. He did not speak to reporters after the optional workout.
"He makes my life a lot easier," Oettinger said. "He does so many good things and so many little things that people don't realize.
"I mean, he's our best player. When you can get your best player back, it's huge."
Dallas split the first two games of the best-of-seven second-round series in Winnipeg before winning Game 3 at American Airlines Center on Sunday.
Heiskanen had 25 points (5-20) in 50 games this past season. The 25-year-old Finn has 283 points (58-225) in 475 career regular-season games.
DeBoer said if Heiskanen returns, he would consider going with 11 forwards and seven defencemen instead of the usual four lines and three defensive pairs. That would likely lead to double shifts for playoff scoring leader Mikko Rantanen.
"Obviously it's a different look for them," said Jets head coach Scott Arniel. "We just have to make sure we're good at what we're doing."
The six-foot-two 197-pound Heiskanen was selected with the third overall pick in the 2017 NHL draft. He signed an eight-year, US$67.6-million deal with the Stars in 2021.
Jets captain Adam Lowry said Heiskanen's return would take some of the pressure off the Stars' blueliners.
"He's an all-star, world-class defenceman," Lowry said. "An unbelievable puck mover and great defensively. He impacts the game in so many different areas.
"It's going to be important that we get on him, especially on the forecheck."
The Jets were not expected to make any lineup changes for Game 4. Winnipeg's usual lines and defence pairs were together for rushes at the morning skate.
Winnipeg entered Game 4 with a winless road record in the post-season. The Jets dropped all three road games in the first round against the St. Louis Blues before advancing with a Game 7 win at home.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 13, 2025.
Gregory Strong, The Canadian Press
