Coach Lindy Ruff said Saturday that Nichushkin (hip) could be back in action with the Stars as soon as the middle of March, Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News reports.

Coach Lindy Ruff said Saturday that Nichushkin (hip) could be back in action with the Stars as soon as the middle of March, Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News reports.

Analysis:

However, Nichushkin will likely require a conditioning stint at AHL Texas, due to the fact that he hasn't seen any competitive ice time since early November. By the time Nichushkin is ready to return to the parent club, it's very possible the Stars will already find themselves out of playoff contention, but the team would simply be happy to have the promising 19-year-old get some more NHL time under his belt ahead of the 2015-16 campaign.