Oilers Catch Significant Break Heading Into Game 1 vs. Stars NHL Trade Talk.
Dallas Stars head coach Pete Deboer announced on Friday that Roope Hintz will not be ready to go for Game 1 of the Western Conference Final. That is a significant break for the Edmonton Oilers as Hintz is one of the Stars’ top offensive performers. If the Oilers can take advantage of his absence and steal a game on the road in this series, Edmonton can take home-ice advantage.
The Stars have lost the opening game of both of their previous series’ versus The Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche.
Clearly, the Stars are not just Hintz. But, as deep as the Stars are, Hintz was a 30-goal scorer for them and had six points in 11 playoff games.
Hintz is still day-to-day and, as per DeBoer, “getting closer, hopeful for Game 2.” Hintz, 27, suffered an upper-body injury in Game 4 of the Stars’ second-round series against the Avalanche and has not played since.
The Oilers have struggled against the Stars this season, so any advantage the team can get, they’ll take. Edmonton is the underdog in this series as the Stars finished first in the West and might be the deepest team in the NHL.
One Less Dynamic Forward for Oilers to Worry About
The Oilers have the more elite-level talent and without Hintz, the Stars are down another dynamic forward — something they already lack when compared to the likes of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Stars have been scoring by committee, with defenseman Miro Heiskanen leading their team in points.
The Oilers and Stars will kick off their Western Conference Final matchup on Thursday night in Dallas. The Stars are the early betting favorites coming out of the regular season as the best team in the West.
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Oilers Catch Significant Break Heading Into Game 1 vs. Stars NHL Trade Talk.
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