The Dallas Stars continue their quest to return to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2020 on Thursday night — but they'll have to play at least the opener of the Western Conference Final against the Edmonton Oilers without one of their most important players. Roope Hintz will not suit up for Game 1 at the American Airlines Center, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.
“Still day-to-day,” reported the hockey insider. “Getting closer, hopeful for Game 2.”
The 27-year-old hasn't been in the lineup since Game 4 against the Colorado Avalanche on May 13, a tilt the team would win 5-1 to take a 3-1 stranglehold on the series. But Hintz left the contest with an upper-body injury after seeing just 6:35 of time on ice.
He wasn't an option in either Games 5 or 6; the former, a 5-3 loss at home; the latter, a thrilling 2-1 double overtime victory to send the Stars to their second West Final in as many seasons. The hope for Dallas was that nearly a full week off would give Hintz the time he needed to recover, but that's not the case as the star forward remains on the shelf for Game 1.
Hintz has chipped in two goals and six points over 11 Stanley Cup Playoff games in 2024. It's a far cry from his production last postseason, when he exploded for 10 goals and 24 points over 19 games. The Stars would bow out to the eventual champion Vegas Golden Knights in six games despite Hintz's brilliance. But Dallas got its revenge on Vegas in a terrific Round 1 series.
Hintz amassed 30 goals and 65 points during the 2023-24 regular-season, his sixth full NHL campaign with the Stars. He helped the team win the Central Division and secure home-ice advantage throughout the first three rounds with a fantastic 52-21-9 record.
Over his career, the Finnish forward is up to 147 goals and 310 points in 392 games. He's been a key player throughout his Stars tenure, and he's impossible to replace. But the squad will do their best without him for Game 1 — and possibly longer — as they eye a first championship appearance in four seasons.
Stars looking to return to Stanley Cup Final for first time in 4 years
After losing to the Golden Knights in 2023 — and watching them hoist Lord Stanley a few weeks later — the Stars got their revenge in Round 1. Despite dropping the first two games at home, Dallas won four of the next five, winning a seven-game thriller to advance.
Next in the way was the 2022 Stanley Cup champion Avalanche, who also could not find a way through Jake Oettinger and the Stars. Matt Duchene was the double overtime hero at Ball Arena against his former team in Game 6, making it back-to-back West Finals in Texas.
Standing in the way this time around is Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and the Edmonton Oilers, who are fresh off a thrilling series of their own. The Oil outlasted the Vancouver Canucks in seven games in Round 2, winning the decider on the road to reach their second WCF in three years.
Both teams are desperate to win a championship with their current cores, and even without Roope Hintz, the Stars are considered the favorites in Round 3. The team hasn't won a title since their lone Stanley Cup in 1999, and the work continues to capture a championship in the 21st century.
Puck drops for Game 1 just past 8:30 p.m. ET at the American Airlines Center.
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