Nils Lundqvist has become an unsung hero for the Dallas Stars this year.
But Dallas will need a win without the defenseman to take a 3-2 lead in the series against the rival Minnesota Wild.
The Stars ejected Lundqvist from Game 5 on Tuesday night after he skated into the face of Wild forward Michael McCarron.
Lundqvist has two points in the series, both assists, while his average time on ice is 16:45. He is playing on Dallas' second pairing with Thomas Harley and is also killing penalties for Dallas.
Stars rule out Nils Lundqvist but 'must watch' him before series ends
Lundqvist did not need to go to the hospital with injuries to his face. But Stars coach Glenn Gulutzan confirmed he will not be available for the all-important game at American Airlines Center, although the Stars have him listed as day-to-day.
"You won't see Nils in the game tomorrow," Gulutzan told reporters on Monday. "We need to see that before the series ends."
Lundqvist, whom Dallas acquired from the New York Rangers in September 2022, has been a regular on the Dallas blue line when healthy. He had 11 points this season and has skated in 16 Stanley Cup playoff games over the past three seasons – he missed the entire postseason last year due to shoulder surgery.
Tyler Myers is expected to replace Lundqvist with Harley on the Stars' second pairing. The Houston-born, 6-8 defenseman has no points and is minus 3 while averaging 21:04 on ice over the course of four games.
Who will replace Nils Lundqvist in the Stars lineup?
Of course, the Stars will want to have Lundqvist ready for Game 5. But even with him out, they still have options.
Ilya Libushkin is the most likely player to be in the Dallas lineup against Minnesota. Libushkin played in 53 games with the Stars this season and was plus-1, plus he's a veteran of 28 playoff games, including 14 games while filling in for Lundqvist in the playoffs a year ago.
But Alex Petrovic also suited up for 54 games and had 10 points for the Stars. Petrovic played in 17 postseason games for the Stars in 2025 and contributed one goal and one assist.
Both Libushkin and Petrovic are right shooting guards, so the decision depends on whether Gulutzan wants to go with the 6-5 Petrovic or the faster but equally bulky Libushkin.
Gulutzan is confident that no matter who he chooses, the game will not decline much.
“They all played well,” Gulutzan said. "That's the beauty of our lineup, they all played well. That helps when you make your decision."
