The Dallas Stars are facing a tough stretch as center Sam Steel has returned home early from their road trip due to an undisclosed injury sustained on Thursday. With three games remaining on the trip, it’s likely Steel will be sidelined for at least those matchups.
The 28-year-old has been enjoying a standout season, tallying 12 goals and 21 assists over 72 games. This leaves Dallas with just 12 healthy forwards, though there’s hope that winger Mikko Rantanen might be back in action for one of the weekend games.
Meanwhile, good news for the Calgary Flames as forward Samuel Honzek hit the ice for practice today for the first time since his upper-body injury in a collision with teammate Mikael Backlund back in mid-November. Despite skating ahead of schedule, the Flames have confirmed he won’t return this season.
The 21-year-old, a first-round pick in 2023, recorded four points in 18 games before his injury. His early return to practice bodes well for a full offseason and possibly representing Slovakia at the Worlds in May.
Over in Winnipeg, the Jets had to call up two players under emergency conditions, but that might not last long. According to Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press, forwards Nino Niederreiter and Vladislav Namestnikov are traveling with the team and could be back in action within the next week.
Both players are experiencing down years, with Niederreiter posting 19 points in 55 games and Namestnikov 13 points in 57 games. Still, their return would be a boost as the Jets aim to stay competitive in the Wild Card race.