Stars' Heiskanen expected to make 2025 playoffs debut in Game 4

The Dallas Stars are expected to get one of their best players back as they look to take a commanding 3-1 series lead in Game 4 against the Winnipeg Jets.

Top defenseman Miro Heiskanen will skate Tuesday morning and if all goes well, Stars head coach Peter DeBoer anticipates him making his 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs debut, according to DLLS Sports' Owen Newkirk.

The Stars activated Heiskanen from long-term injured reserve Tuesday afternoon.

Heiskanen hasn't played since Jan. 28 when he injured his knee in an awkward collision with Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone.

The rearguard had surgery to address the issue in February and has since undergone a lengthy recovery process. He missed the Stars' last 32 games of the regular season, with the club going 18-9-5 in his absence.

DeBoer added that playing seven defensemen is an option to help ease Heiskanen back into the lineup.

"The 11-and-seven thing's no big deal," he said, according to The Athletic's Mark Lazerus. "It gives Mikko Rantanen some more ice time, so that's an easy one."

The bench boss said Monday that the Stars would "have to be smart" about how they deploy Heiskanen in his return.

"I don't think there are specific restrictions, but we're not going to put him out on the ice for 30 minutes in his first game back in three months," DeBoer said, according to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski.

Dallas bested the Colorado Avalanche in seven contests in the opening round without both Heiskanen and winger Jason Robertson, who re-entered the fold in Game 1 against the Jets after getting injured in the regular-season finale.

Heiskanen recorded five goals and 25 points in 50 outings during the regular season while averaging a team-leading 25:10 minutes of ice time per matchup.

Blue-liner Thomas Harley has shouldered the brunt of the workload without Heiskanen in these playoffs, playing 27:11 per night while chipping in with three goals and eight points in 10 contests.

The puck drops on Heiskanen's likely return at 8 p.m. ET.