The Dallas Stars are set to be without one of their top forwards as they open their first-round playoff series against the Minnesota Wild.
Stars head coach Glen Gulutzan told reporters Tuesday that centre Roope Hintz will be out for the first two games of the playoffs with a lower-body injury, per the Dallas News' Lia Assimakopoulos.
“Certainly, Roope won’t be in in Game 1 or 2," Gulutzan said. "We don’t know when he could come back, or if he could come back. We’ll see.”
The news comes after the Stars ruled Hintz out for the remainder of the regular season last Friday.
Hintz suffered the injury in a March 6 meeting with the Colorado Avalanche, when he had to be helped off the ice following a collision with Nathan MacKinnon.
The Finnish winger had 15 goals and 29 assists in 53 games for Dallas this season. He also had a goal and four points in a bronze-medal-winning effort for Finland at the Winter Olympics.
Dallas has one regular-season game remaining — Wednesday against the Buffalo Sabres — before it can turn its attention to the first round against Minnesota.
The Stars will have home-ice advantage for the series, as they currently sit eight points ahead of the Wild in the Central Division standings.
