The Dallas Stars have been doing just fine without Miro Heiskanen as he recovers from an injury, but that doesn't mean they don't want to see him return as soon as possible. The star defenseman will make the Stars even better, and if fellow countryman Mikko Rantanen keeps performing like he is, there might not be much stopping Pete DeBoer's squad.

“I'm still sticking by what I projected: that we would see him in the second round,” DeBoer said Monday during an optional Dallas practice.

By Tuesday, DeBoer's words looked prophetic. Heiskanen is skating Tuesday and is expected to return for Tuesday night's Game 4 assuming all goes well, according to Sportsnet's John Barlett.

Alexander Petrovic has been a valuable player for the Dallas Stars in the playoffs, even scoring the eventual game-winner against the Winnipeg Jets in Game 3. However, he has been primarily a minor leaguer for most of his career. It's funny for Petrovic, as he played six regular season games for Dallas over the last two years, but is now up to 17 playoff games over the same span.

For the Stars, they take out a guy with six regular season games since 2019-20 and add Heiskanen, one of the league's best. It's no slight to Petroic, but the Stars elevate to another level with that switch. Dallas has already been a nightmare matchup for Winnipeg, and adding Heiskanen for the last couple of games could be the deciding factor.

Stars are rolling before Miro Heiskanen's return from injury

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Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen (4) is helped off the ice by center Colin Blackwell (15) and defenseman Mathew Dumba (3) after sustaining an injury from a trip by Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mark Stone (not pictured) during the third period at T-Mobile Arena.
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One of the reasons the Stars are amongst the favorites to win the Stanley Cup is how they look without Heiskanen. They also missed Jason Robertson in Round 1 and took out another favorite in the Colorado Avalanche. The Stars now have a 2-1 lead over the Winnipeg Jets with the chance to take a stranglehold with Game 4 at home on Tuesday night.

Heiskanen has been a stud for Dallas in the last two playoffs. He played 38 games over the two years, recording 28 points. Heiskanen was also a leading player when the Stars advanced to the 2020 Stanley Cup Final, recording 26 points in 27 games.

Dallas has the pieces to play shutdown defense against the league's best team, which isn't something that Heiskanen will bring. However, his return pushes Thomas Harley down the lineup into better matchups and also adds a dynamic presence to the backend.

Based on Tuesday morning's reports, it sure looks like Miro Heiskanen will be back on the ice.