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 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 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 their veteran leaders. Dallas has their share of grizzled vets all over 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 in the form of losing 11 out of 15 games. Winning their most recent contest on Friday, January 24th hosting 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 get to 100%, or as close to it as possible for 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 top priority. So Seguin can be healthier, and around play more games.
Offensive chemistry
As Stars head coach Glen Gulutzan has shuffled the lines, missing Seguin has made the job even more difficult to spark the offense. Guys like Matt Duchene, Maveik Bourque and Sam Steel have seen their point production drop since Seguin got injured.
Not only has Segin’s absence hurt the Stars in goal scoring, their shots and shooting percentage has 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.
Photo credit: Jeffrey T. Barnes/AP
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.
Featured photo: LM Otero/AP
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Categorized: Stars