David Perron and Esa Lindell Return to Rescue a Leaky Dallas Stars Lineup

The Dallas Stars are finally calling in the cavalry for Saturday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets, and the reinforcements look like a guy who just finished a two-week training camp and a defenseman who uses his own body as a backstop.

Head coach Glen Gulutzan confirmed to the media that veteran winger David Perron will officially make his Dallas debut. Meanwhile, Esa Lindell is expected back on the ice after missing the last five games with a lower-body injury.

"Head coach Glen Gulutzan confirmed Perron's debut and noted he is 90 percent sure Lindell will play."

Perron signed a one-year, prorated $850,000 deal back on October 16 and has spent the last couple of weeks just trying to get into game shape. He is sitting on 812 career points, but he only managed 28 points in 65 games last year while bouncing between the Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings. Do not expect him to suddenly turn into a 40-goal scorer, but Dallas just needs him to be a functional NHL forward.

Lindell returning is the actual needle-mover here. He missed five games because he blocked a shot in mid-October, which is the exact kind of occupational hazard you expect from a guy who plays his style. In just eight games this season, he has zero points, a plus-four rating, and 18 blocked shots while eating nearly 21 minutes of ice time a night. That is pure, unadulterated defensive sickness.

The Stars desperately need that defensive stability right now. They are sitting at 7-5-1 and just gave up five goals in back-to-back losses against the New Jersey Devils and Montreal Canadiens. If you are staring at the puck line tonight, factoring in a top-four defenseman who actually plays defense is a massive piece of the puzzle for a team trying to stop the bleeding.

Puck drops at 8 p.m. ET against a Columbus squad that Dallas should handle. We will find out quickly if a veteran winger finding his legs and a shot-blocking machine returning to the rotation are enough to get the Stars back on track.