The Stars have been without Mason Marchment since he suffered an undisclosed injury in the second game of the opening round. However, he could return for the second game of their second-round series against Colorado as Joey Hayden of the Dallas Morning News relays that the winger is now close to returning and is likely to be a game-time decision on Thursday. The 28-year-old had a career year offensively with 22 goals and 31 assists in 81 games during the regular season and is a big part of Dallas’ deep forward group so getting him back – whether it’s Thursday or soon after – would be a significant boost for them.
Other news from the West:
- After missing Tuesday’s practice due to illness, Canucks center Elias Pettersson will play tonight in their series opener, mentions Thomas Drance of The Athletic (Twitter link). Head coach Rick Tocchet also ruled out any speculation that the illness designation was covering up an injury. Pettersson had a strong regular season with 89 points in 82 games but was quiet in the first round, being held to just three assists in six contests against Nashville.
- As expected, Oilers forward Adam Henrique has been ruled out of tonight’s opener, notes Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic (Twitter link). He was listed as doubtful yesterday due to a lower-body injury. However, head coach Kris Knoblauch added that he’s hopeful that the veteran will be able to return on Friday, continuing to list him as day-to-day. Henrique had a pair of points in their opening-round victory over Los Angeles.
- Avalanche winger Jonathan Drouin skated today for the first time as he works his way back from a lower-body injury that caused him to miss the entire first round. Speaking with reporters including Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now (Twitter link), head coach Jared Bednar indicated that they need to ensure that Drouin’s wound heals so that it won’t bust open again which suggests he probably isn’t overly close to returning just yet. Drouin had a strong bounce-back showing during the regular season, picking up 56 points in 79 games after managing just 29 in 58 in 2022-23.