Dallas Stars goalie Ben Bishop and winger Alexander Radulov will both miss the rest of the 2020-21 season due to injury in a blow to the team's fading playoff hopes.
There was some hope at the trade deadline that Radulov could return to spark the Stars, but general manager Jim Nill said on Wednesday that the 34-year-old right winger will require surgery to repair a core muscle injury.
Radulov had 12 points in 11 games this season before leaving the lineup on March 18 with the injury. He had previously missed 15 games this season due to a lower-body injury. Dallas is 6-3-2 with the dynamic winger in its lineup this season and 9-11-10 without him.
Bishop, 34, had surgery last October to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee. At the time, the prognosis was that he would return in five months. Bishop hasn't played a game this season, with veteran Anton Khudobin and rookie Jake Oettinger splitting time in goal for Dallas. Nill said, "It has been determined that Bishop will not return to play this season, allowing him time to continue his rehabilitation."
Both Radulov and Bishop are expected to be ready for the start of the 2021-22 season.
Dallas has also been playing this season without star forward Tyler Seguin, who underwent right hip arthroscopy and labral repair last October.
After being Stanley Cup finalists last postseason, the Stars have struggled to sixth in the Central Division with a .512 points percentage. They're seven points behind fourth-place Nashville for the final playoff spot but do have three games in hand.
The Stars' season was interrupted three times this season: twice for COVID-19 outbreaks on the team and once during the winter storm that hit Texas in March.