The Dallas Stars held more media availability today, where GM Jim Nill gave reporters including Saad Yousuf of The Athletic several injury updates. Alexander Radulov, Ben Bishop, and Tyler Seguin are all on track to make full recoveries in time for next season’s training camp, but the real news was that Roope Hintz has surgery scheduled for next week. Hintz is dealing with a left abductor tendon injury according to Yousuf and will be out three to four months after surgery on Wednesday.
Hintz and Seguin ended up back on the shelf after the Stars were eliminated, ending what was a frustrating season for both players. While Seguin knew he was going to miss most of the year following hip and knee surgeries, Hintz spent the entire season struggling through injury. That makes his performance even more incredible, as the 24-year-old forward finished with 43 points in 41 games.
One can only imagine what Hintz will be able to do at full health, especially if he can continue the natural chemistry he found with Joe Pavelski this season. With the emergence of Jason Robertson as a line-driving player for the Stars, the team now has several top-level left-wing options to deploy, making it even more difficult to match lines.
It was a brutal season for the Stars, who dealt with a COVID situation at the beginning of the year, some major injuries from last year’s Cinderella Stanley Cup run, and inclement weather that delayed and disrupted their schedule. They ended up missing the playoffs by just four points despite all that and should still be in a position to compete in 2021-22. A lot of that hope will rely on injury recoveries, however, including this long-term rehab for Hintz.