The Dallas Stars Miss Tyler Seguin
It is no secret that the Dallas Stars have been struggling since December.
After going through October and November, establishing one of the best starts in franchise history, the hammer has since come down on Dallas.
There are many elements of their game that anybody can point to as a concern, from a pack of shots on net to injury woes.
Speaking of injuries, it’s no secret or coincidence that the Stars really miss Tyler Seguin, one of their team leaders, and the second-longest current tenured Star on the team. Seguin has been out since December 2nd, when he tore his ACL in his right knee.
Veteran Leadership
Every team needs its veteran leaders. Dallas has its share of grizzled vets across the roster. The value that Seguin brings to the team showed in their success to start the season. We also see the value Seguin brought, evidenced by losing 11 of 15 games, then winning their most recent contest on Friday, January 24th, against rival St. Louis Blues.
Given the fact that Seguin will be 34 on January 31st, it might be best in the long run if he sits out the rest of the season. Stars general manager Jim Nill can work his magic with the LTIR money. Seguin can take the time to reach 100% or as close to it as possible in 2027. He’s rebounded from past injuries, but Father Time is undefeated for everybody. So getting the best of Seguin going forward, and working to avoid potential relapses, has to be the top priority. So Seguin can be healthier and play more games.
Offensive Chemistry
As Stars head coach Glen Gulutzan has shuffled the lines, Seguin’s absence has made the job even more difficult to spark the offense. Guys like Matt Duchene, Maverik Bourque, and Sam Steel have seen their point production drop since Seguin got injured.
Not only has Segin’s absence hurt the Stars’ goal scoring, but their shots and shooting percentage have dropped a bit, too. His skill on the faceoff dot is missed by a team that thrives on puck possession, too. The Stars are missing Seguin primarily on the puck.
Faceoffs
Seguin is one of the NHL’s best on the faceoff dot. Prior to his injury, Seguin was winning 53% of his draws. Highly important to a team like Dallas, which thrives on puck possession.
During Dallas’ first game without Seguin against the New Jersey Devils, the Stars won only 38% of the faceoffs in the game. They still won the contest on December 3rd.
Seguin did many things, big and small, that benefited the Stars.
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Categorized:Stars