Miro Heiskanen injury update and expected return date

The Dallas Stars camp suffered a major setback after their star defenseman Miro Heiskanen suffered an injury to his face in Game 3 against the Seattle Kraken at the Climate Pledge Arena on Sunday. He was hit by a puck in the second period.

Following the hit, the 23-year-old defenseman was forced to leave the ice. It was announced early on that he would return to the game, but there was no sign of him until the third period.

Dallas Stars coach Pete DeBoer said the defenseman did not return to the game due to the scoreline.

There is no word on whether he will be available for Game 4, but the head coach's comments indicate that the defenseman is likely to be fit. Game 4 will take place on Tuesday.

The 23-year-old was brilliant for the Stars during the regular season. He appeared in 79 games and accumulated 73 points (the most points by a defenseman in franchise history). He also had a plus/minus of +12.

During the 2023 playoffs, Heiskanen has played nine games and has contributed seven points for his team.

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Dallas Stars struggled in the absence of Miro Heiskanen

The Dallas Stars' lackluster performance without their defenseman proved how important is Miro Heiskanen in the blue line. The Seattle Kraken got the opportunity to score the first goal on a rebound after the puck hit Miro's face during the early frame of the second period.

The Kraken took a 2-0 lead just two minutes after Heiskanen's exit from the game. The Kraken completely dominated the second period and were 5-1 up before the start of the third.

Yani Gourde and Justin Schultz scored two more goals for the Kraken to secure a commanding 7-2 victory and take a 2-1 lead in the series.

Mason Marchment and Jani Hakanpaa were the two scorers for the Stars.