Some Thoughts on Forward Injuries and the Top Defensemen with Five Games Left in the Dallas Stars' Season

Some updates and reflections

It was Team Photo Day today.

We don’t know exactly when or where the Stars’ first playoff game will happen, but there’s every likelihood that Dallas will open their 2026 Stanley Cup bid in a series against the Minnesota Wild starting next weekend, on either Saturday (4/18) or Sunday (4/19).

Today after practice, Glen Gulutzan gave the latest updates on the Dallas Stars Infirmary, but for once, there was a positive surprise. Radek Faksa not only stuck around to skate at the beginning of practice, but he ended up participating in all the drills, including centering a fourth line during line rushes with Adam Erne and a rotation between Arttu Hyry and Cameron Hughes.

“This is his first skate with the group,” Gulutzan said of Faksa, “So we’ll see how he goes. But you know, certainly not tomorrow or anything, but getting close.”

When asked if Faksa was progressing faster than they had anticipated, Gulutzan responded in the affirmative: “Much faster.”

When it comes to the other forwards, however, Gulutzan was less optimistic.

“Each one’s different,” Gulutzan said. “I don’t think the other ones will follow faster. I think they’re just gonna stay on the same timeline, just from what I’m looking at right now.”

One player is set apart from the group, however. Because while Michael Bunting, Sam Steel, and Roope Hintz are all still being projected to return by April 18 or 19, Nathan Bastian is not.

“I don’t think Bastian will be there.” Gulutzan said of Game 1 of the playoffs. “I think he’ll be three or four weeks here. That’ll be a little stretch [to play in Game 1]. Maybe round two. But everyone else, we’re very hopeful. We’re not 100%, but we’re very hopeful.”

Bastian, as you will remember, blocked a shot off his hand in Pittsburgh just over a week ago. His timeline of 4-5 weeks from the initial injury is consistent with something like a fractured hand or finger, though of course no such level of detail has been confirmed. The Stars could really use him right now, but it sounds like they’ll have to finish the regular season without him, and perhaps a few more games after that.

As for Tyler Myers, who skated on a fourth pairing along with Kyle Capobianco and Alex Petrovic today, Gulutzan said he’s also very close to playing, and could even do so tomorrow against the Calgary Flames.

“He’s gonna get into a game,” Gulutzan confirmed. “I haven’t talked with [Head Athletic Trainer Dave] Zeis yet, but I would think he should be ready for tomorrow.”

So, that’s what we know for sure: Hintz, Steel, Bunting, Myers, and Faksa all sound like they could play at some point in the next two weeks. That’s a whole lot of important NHL players the Stars have had to live without for the last little while.

Now, let’s get into what we don’t know.