In a season filled with injuries, one of the biggest Dallas suffered this season was Mattias Janmark’s knee issue.
The 24-year-old Swede has missed the entire season thus far, but recently resumed skating and practicing with the club. That said, Janmark confirmed he won’t play this year -- meaning he’ll miss the entire 82-game campaign.
And what’s more, he might miss games next season as well.
“I think there’s a question mark (about next season), but we don’t know to what degree yet,” said Stars coach Lindy Ruff, per the Dallas Morning-News. “He’s progressing nicely. He still has a ways to go, but I think the fact he is practicing now and has gone this far always gives a guy like that a better chance for next year.”
Janmark’s original injury occurred during the preseason, when he knee locked up in a game against Colorado.
“He had a small segment, approximately 21 millimeters by 11 millimeters, that became displaced and is locked in his knee,” GM Jim Nill said at the time. “It’s the bone and the cartilage, they both came off together.”
Janmark underwent surgery to correct the issue, but his recovery was plagued by a preexisting congenital condition called osteochondritis dissecans. Nill said the likelihood of a full recovery was 80 percent.
Losing his services was a big blow for Dallas. After surprising onlookers by making the team out of camp in ’15-16 -- a “great story,” according to Nill -- Janmark had a pretty successful rookie campaign, scoring 15 goals and 29 points in 73 games.
He also fared well in the playoffs, with five points in 12 contests.
Janmark’s contract situation complicates things. He’s a pending RFA, currently in the last of a two-year, $1.6 million deal with an $733,750 cap hit. The Stars would (presumably) like to keep him, but the uncertainty regarding his health might made negotiations difficult.