Dallas Stars: Injuries Starting To Become A Major Factor

The Dallas Stars have had to face some minor injuries early but now they’re coming in bunches and the team will have to find a way to keep momentum.

The Dallas Stars had a relatively injury-free first half of their season. Though a few small issues came up with players  like Antoine Roussel or Travis Moen, the team was able to operate at full strength, leading to their hot start.

Then back on Feb. 4, things got a little more serious as Jason Spezza suffered a upper body injury that put him out of action for six games. Later on they lost Ales Hemsky for a game and Patrick Eaves for seven games due to illnesses.

Recently, the injury bug has become even more brutal for the team, as more and more players are going down during one of the most important stretches of the season.

Patrick Sharp

The first major injury for the Stars came on Feb. 29 as Patrick Sharp went down with a lower body injury suffered against the Detroit Red Wings. He attempted to come back and play the next night against the Nashville Predators but ultimately left the game early and has been sidelined since. He was initially expected to miss 5-7 days but has already missed over a week of action including three games.

Jordie Benn

The Dallas Stars traded for Kris Russell at the trade deadline to complete their third defensive pairing. In his first game with the team, he lost his linemate, as Jordie Benn suffered a lower body injury. This wasn’t the first lower body injury of the season for Benn as he also missed some time back in January because of one. Benn’s current injury is expected to keep him out for at least another week, meaning he could return by mid-March if all goes well.

John Klingberg

This has been the biggest and most impactful injury for the Stars as John Klingberg went down with–you guessed it–a lower body injury. The Dallas Stars No. 1 defenseman was hurt on Mar. 4 against the New Jersey Devils. He is currently under day-to-day watch and could hit the ice soon as he prepares to return.

Jason Demers

Jason Demers was the last player to get hurt as he fell to the ice awkwardly on Mar. 8 against the Montreal Canadiens. It was later revealed after the game that the could be out for the rest of the season, if the injury is truly as bad as the teams thinks. His upper body injury is one that will hurt the Dallas Stars as he has been one of their best blue liners all year.

The Dallas Stars are in trouble at the moment since half of their usual defensemen are injured. Patrik Nemeth and Jamie Oleksiak have been in and out of the lines all year long and they are going to be a bigger part of the team now that they have defined spots.

As for the third defenseman needed, the Stars recalled Stephen Johns from the Texas Stars. Johns was a part of the Patrick Sharp deal that went down during the summer and he will get his first action with the team as he fills in. According to Bruce LeVine, a member of the radio broadcast crew, Sharp thinks very highly of Johns. To add to the excitement, he will be taking on his old team, the Chicago Blackhawks, in his first game with the Stars.

As for Patrick Sharp’s absence, Brett Ritchie and Radek Faksa have been switching in and out of the lines. Faksa has been solid, getting many great opportunities to score while Ritchie has provided the Stars with physical play due to his size.

The good thing about this whole situation is that the Dallas Stars have built a very deep farm system, meaning they always have great players to call up. Out of the 14 games remaining, the Stars will play six against divisional opponents and 12 against current Playoff teams. With the last month of the season unfolding before our eyes, it is going to be crucial that they play well so they stay in the fight for the Central Division and the Western Conference.

More dfw sports: Antoine Roussel Has Been A Late-Game Hero For The Stars

Overall, the Dallas Stars are in some major trouble with their current number of injuries, however, they have some bright young talent ready to fill in while the team continues to get healthy and looks for a great finish to a great season.