Dallas Stars Provide Update On Joe Pavelski

While speaking with reporters, Dallas Stars head coach Pete DeBoer said that he is "optimistic" that veteran forward Joe Pavelski will return at some point during their series against the Minnesota Wild.

Pete DeBoer said he’s “optimistic” they’ll see Joe Pavelski in this series. Doesn’t want to put pressure on timeline but they’ve seen positive progress so far
— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithNHL) April 23, 2023

DeBoer also noted that Pavelski has been making positive progress with his injury but that they also do not want to set a definite timeline for his return. Regardless of the latter, it is still excellent to hear that Pavelski returning is potentially in the cards given this latest development.

At the time of this writing, the Stars are down 2-1 to the Wild in their series, so it is apparent that they could use one of their top players in Pavelski back. In 82 regular-season games this year with the Stars, the 38-year-old had 28 goals, 77 points, and a plus-42 rating.

With Pavelski dealing with a concussion, he absolutely cannot be rushed. We will need to wait and see if he ends up getting back into the lineup from here, but DeBoer's comments make it seem quite possible.