The Dallas Stars shuffled their injured reserve picture earlier today, moving forward Oskar Back to long-term injured reserve and defenseman Esa Lindell to regular injured reserve.
Those roster moves open up two spots, and Dallas is expected to make use of at least one of them with a recall from AHL Texas. Independent correspondent Robert Tiffin reports the Stars will be without Sam Steel tomorrow after he received a treatment injection today. Radek Faksa and David Perron are also listed as question marks, which makes a forward recall the logical move.
Back has been sidelined since October 14th after breaking his finger in Dallas’ shootout win over the Colorado Avalanche. He is not expected to return until mid-to-late November.
The 26-year-old has been part of the Stars’ bottom six, and while he’s been out, Dallas has had to work around a modest offensive line from him. Back posted nine goals and 28 points in 145 games over his first two seasons with the team, and he has one assist through seven games this year.
Lindell’s absence is the tougher one to absorb. He has been out since October 17th with a lower-body injury, and while he is eligible to come back tomorrow, the move today suggests he still needs a little more time. Dallas will still have the ability to activate him once he’s ready in the next few days.
This season, Lindell has filled his usual role without showing up on the scoresheet. He has gone scoreless in eight games, but he has also piled up 18 blocked shots and posted an excellent 98.1% on-ice SV% at even strength.
In Other News...
How Dallas Built A Team Identity Fans Should Be Watching
The Stars roster has long carried a distinct Finnish imprint, a connection that dates back to the 1990s and still shows up in the way this team is built and plays. What started with Jere Lehtinen has become part of the organizations fabric, with Finnish influence lingering through the years and helping shape both the culture and the defensive backbone of the club.
That identity feels especially visible now, with the Stars leaning on a group of Finnish players who have become central to their success. Their presence gives Dallas a familiar thread from one era to the next, and it is one of the quieter reasons the team has been able to maintain a style that fans have come to recognize and value. [Read more 🡒]