The Dallas Stars have been one of the most successful franchises in the National Hockey League over the past six seasons.
Since reaching the Stanley Cup Final in the shortened 2019-20 season, the Stars have qualified for the playoffs four times, including a trip to the Western Conference Final in each of the past three seasons.
This season, Dallas (48-20-12) is once again among the upper echelon of teams heading into the playoffs. They are currently the third-best team in the league with 108 points and are locked into hosting a first-round matchup against the division-rival Minnesota Wild.
With little left to play for in the regular season, general manager Jim Nill says the team’s focus for the final two games, including tonight’s penultimate game in Toronto, will be to stay sharp and focus on the young players who have stepped up as the Stars struggled with several injuries to their top players.
“We’ve been in a battle with Minnesota for a second and third spot in our division, so there’s been an incentive there to be playing well,” Nill said Monday morning on TSN Radio. “We’ve been banged up all year, and it’s been a next-man-up mentality. It’s been a great opportunity for some younger players to get that chance to play and see where they fit in.
“Give our guys credit, they fought through it, and it hasn’t affected our team.”
The Stars have dealt with major injuries all season and most recently lost star defenceman Miro Heiskanen for the remainder of the regular season with a lower-body injury. He is questionable for the start of the playoffs.
Top-line centre Roope Hintz has played just 11 minutes since the Olympic break due to a lower-body injury, while forwards Michael Bunting and Sam Steel are also working their way back from injury.
Nill provided a positive update on a pair of injured forwards but says the timeline remains unclear for Heiskanen and Hintz heading into the playoffs.
“We’re hoping to get Bunting back tonight. Steel is out, but we’ll possibly get him back on Wednesday,” said Nill. “Roope, we’ll have to wait and see. I don’t know if he’ll be ready right for the start of the playoffs. Hopefully, somewhere around the start of the first round.
“And then Miro. We’re hoping he’s going to be ready at the start of the playoffs. We’ve got five or six days to get a better feel for him. You hope you’re getting some guys back, but you can’t count on them.”
Nill also praised first-year head coach Glen Gulutzan, who replaced Peter DeBoer this past off-season, and his staff for navigating the multitude of injuries.
“Glen and his staff have done an unbelievable job. It’s not easy. That was a change I thought had to be made, and for the new person coming in, there were pretty high standards,” Nill said. “We haven’t missed a beat, especially when you consider all the injuries. We’re happy where we sit right now.”
The NHL playoff format has once come under scrutiny as many of the league’s top teams will meet in the first round, including the Stars and Wild, who are the second and third best teams in the West. The winner of that series has a potential matchup with the Presidents’ Cup-winning Colorado Avalanche on deck.
Despite the difficult early-round matchups on tap for his club, Nill says he’s not concerned about the current playoff format.
“If you’re going to be the Stanley Cup champion, you’ve got to beat the best. Just kind of the way the chips fall,” said Nill. “The other thing is, with all the parity in the league, the No. 8 seed could be as good as the No. 2 or 3. That’s how close these teams are now.
“Be careful what you wish for because there are no bad teams in the league. Whoever’s making the playoffs is a good team.”
