The Dallas Stars will remain without forward Patrick Sharp and defenseman John Klingberg on Tuesday night when the team takes on the Los Angeles Kings. Sharp has been out since early March while dealing with an injury.
Sharp was able to take part in practice with the team on Monday and appeared to be on track to play against the Kings, but he will not suit up. Sharp is dealing with a lower-body injury and has missed the last five games for the Stars. Dallas has played well despite him being out, as the team is tied for first place in the Central Division with the St. Louis Blues.
"He's real close. Won't play tonight," coach Lindy Ruff said.
Getting Sharp back would give the team a nice offensive boost from the wing. Sharp has been productive this season, putting up 47 points in 65 games, including 17 goals and 30 assists. The Stars have been dealing with a number of injuries, including to Sharp, Klingberg, Jordie Benn and Jason Demers.
Ruff said that Klingberg and Benn are making progress, but they are not ready to return to the lineup yet. Benn was able to skate with Sharp after practice, but he still has some recovering to do before he can play. Demers is out with a shoulder injury and will be out for at least six weeks, meaning he will likely miss the start of the playoffs.
Klingberg was not able to take part in practice on Monday, but he was able to skate on his own before the team took the ice. The defenseman is making progress and could be back as soon as Thursday if things continue to progress well. Klingberg initially had a two-week diagnosis for his lower-body injury and that could put him on track to return against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ruff said that Klingberg "should be" back at practice with the team on Wednesday.
The injuries on defense have forced Ruff to shuffle around some of the pairings, including by moving Alex Goligoski to the opposite side of the blue line. Benn and Klingberg are expected to be back within a week and that will give the team some added depth on defense moving towards the playoffs.
