The Dallas Stars got a welcome update on Miro Heiskanen after the defenseman left their latest game with an upper-body injury. Head coach Glen Gulutzan said Heiskanen is day-to-day, according to Lia Assimakopoulos of the Dallas Morning News.
That’s a relief for a player who has been central to Dallas’ blue line this season. Heiskanen, 27, has appeared in every Stars game so far, though that status could be in question for tomorrow’s matchup with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Before getting hurt, he had been playing like Dallas’ top defenseman, putting up three goals and 11 points in 15 games with a +2 rating while logging nearly 25 minutes a night.
The Finnish blueliner is coming off a strong 2024-25 season after missing about 40% of the year. Even with that time lost, he still produced nine goals and 63 points in 77 games, finished with a +9 rating, and averaged 25:28 of ice time. His play also earned him an eighth-place finish in Norris Trophy voting.
Around the Central Division, the Minnesota Wild sent Mason Shaw back to the AHL’s Iowa Wild for the second time in the past week, per a team announcement. Shaw did not get into a game for Minnesota during either call-up, and he returns to Iowa with four goals and 10 points in 10 games this season.
The Winnipeg Jets also made a move involving a young defenseman, activating Garrett Brown and then assigning him to the Manitoba Moose in the AHL. Brown, 22, started the season on Winnipeg’s injured reserve after dealing with an undisclosed preseason injury. The former 99th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft is set to make his professional debut this year after wrapping up his junior season at the University of Denver.
In Other News...
Wild Win Adds To Their Surge After A Controversial Turning Point
Minnesota kept its roll going with a 4-2 win over Philadelphia, a result built on a fast start and enough poise to withstand a late push. Matt Boldy had a goal and an assist, and the Wild struck twice in 31 seconds during the first period to seize control early. Joel Eriksson Ek also scored, helping extend Minnesotas point streak to six games as the club continued to stack points in a stretch that has changed the look of its season.
Philadelphia made things interesting with two late goals, but the Wild never fully surrendered the edge and closed it out with an empty-net goal from Danila Yurov. The game also had one of those moments that can tilt the mood of a night in an instant, with a sequence that led directly to Minnesotas go-ahead chance and left the Flyers frustrated as they tried to claw back from the early hole. [Read more 🡒]
Wild Still Have A Shot As Dylan Larkin Trade Talks Stall
Dylan Larkins name has stayed in the mix as the Red Wings continue to explore trade possibilities, and Minnesota remains one of the teams watching closely. The Wild are among the clubs Larkin would accept a move to, which keeps them in the conversation as Detroit looks for a path forward and the market around the center remains unsettled.
The wrinkle is that Detroit wants more flexibility before anything can get done, while Larkin and his camp have not budged. For Minnesota, that leaves the door open but far from wide, with interest still there and the situation still waiting on a breakthrough that has yet to arrive. [Read more 🡒]
Wild Could Be Eyeing A Superstar Move They May Not Afford
The trade market around the Wild has a way of turning ambitious in a hurry, and this latest discussion fits the pattern. With player movement across the NHL becoming more fluid and long-term contract certainty harder to count on, Minnesota keeps getting mentioned in conversations that would have sounded far-fetched not long ago. The idea of adding a true star always carries appeal, especially for a team trying to stay in the mix and keep its window open.
But the more practical question is whether the Wild could actually build a package strong enough to get there. Even before any talk of a bigger swing, assembling the kind of assets needed to land elite talent has been a challenge, and Minnesota has already felt how difficult that can be when chasing top-end names. If the team is going to make a move in that tier, it will have to navigate both the price and the uncertainty that comes with it. [Read more 🡒]