Stars’ Nathan Bastian out 3-4 weeks with hand injury
It appears the Dallas Stars could be entering the postseason missing one of their depth forwards.
On Monday, head coach Glen Gulutzan revealed that Nathan Bastian will be out for the next three to four weeks.
Gulutzan says Faksa is recovering faster than expected. Won’t play tomorrow, but they’re pleased with his progress. Myers is going to get into a game very soon, perhaps tomorrow. Bastian is 3-4 weeks away. Other forwards still hopeful for Game 1 of playoffs.
Gulutzan also provided updates on forward Radek Faksa, who is making good progress in his recovery from an upper-body injury he suffered during the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, and defenseman Tyler Myers, who is expected to return to action soon after having missed Dallas’ last three games with an undisclosed injury.
Bastian, 28, has missed the Stars’ last four games after he suffered a hand injury while blocking a shot during Dallas’ 6-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on March 28th.
The Kitchener, Ontario native has six goals and an assist for seven points in 36 games this season. He has also played four games for the AHL’s Texas Stars, where he registered two goals and an assist for three points.
Dallas signed Bastian to a one-year, $775,000 contract this past offseason. He is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after this season.
Initially selected by the New Jersey Devils in the second round of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, Bastian spent a few seasons at the AHL level before becoming a full-time NHLer in 2020-21, when he had three goals and seven assists for 10 points in 41 games with New Jersey.
Ahead of the 2021-22 season, Bastian was selected in the Seattle Kraken in their expansion draft. He played 12 games for Seattle that year before being placed on waivers and claimed to rejoin the Devils. He would go on to have his career-best campaign that season, totaling 12 goals and six assists for 18 points over 72 games between the two teams. He played the following three seasons for the Devils before signing with the Stars.
Dallas, who sits second in the Central Division and has clinched a playoff berth, will host the Calgary Flames on Tuesday.