John Klingberg will be back in the lineup when he's back in the lineup.

The Dallas Stars defenseman won't play Tuesday against the Montreal Canadiens. He was hurt last Friday, with the team saying it's a lower-body ailment and calling him day to day.

"He's doing OK, but he is not ready to skate yet," head coach Lindy Ruff said Tuesday, according to the Stars' Mark Stepneski.

Klingberg wasn't expected to travel to Montreal, so his being out isn't a surprise, but his absence, originally deemed short term by Ruff, appears like it will be longer than Dallas hoped.

Dallas has a tough back-to-back coming up on the weekend, with home games against the Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues. It doesn't get any easier after that, as they'll play home games against the Los Angeles Kings, Tampa Bay Lightning, and New York Islanders before a visit to Chicago for another round with the Blackhawks.

Playing in the Western Conference must be exhausting.

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