The star defenseman will likely be out for months, if not the rest of the season. Expect the Stars to struggle in his absence, and to have a much better understanding of their roster when he returns.

Miro Heiskanen is week to week for the Dallas Stars with a knee injury. The timeline also means the defenseman will likely miss the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off, with will take place in Montreal and Boston from Feb. 12-20. He had been selected to play for Team Finland along with Stars teammates, defenseman Esa Lindell and forward Roope Hintz.

Heiskanen is now the third critical player the Stars have lost for an extended period of time. Tyler Seguin is out for four-to-six months following hip surgery he had done in December, and Mason Marchment has missed a month for face surgery after taking a puck to the face in late December.