CEDAR PARK, Texas — It’s been a tough few years Tyler Seguin.
The second overall pick in 2010 got his Achilles tendon sliced in 2016, then dealt with a complex trio of knee, hip and groin injuries over the past three seasons that cost him all but three games in 2020-21. Heck, he even played through a fractured foot in the playoffs last season.
So as he comes to camp healthy, he feels pretty good about the future.
“I turned 30, got engaged this summer, a lot of positive things,” Seguin said as he met with the media Friday at HEB Center. “Life is good. It was a great off-season for myself personally away from the rink, but also in the weight room and on the ice, I made a lot of good strides.”
Seguin is at an interesting point in his career. He has logged 825 games, so he’s putting some miles on the tires. But at the same time, he should be in the prime of his performance numbers. Before the injuries, Seguin was basically a point-a-game player for his first six seasons in Dallas. He then hit a hiccup in 2019-2020 (50 points in 60 games), missed most of 2020-21, and then had 49 points in 81 games last season. It was a tough pill for him to swallow, but he has worked hard and pushed to do whatever he could.
Video: CGY@DAL, Gm4: Seguin nets perfectly placed shot
In the playoffs, Seguin earned props from general manager Jim Nill for battling through his injuries.
“He probably would’ve been out 2-4 weeks,” Nill said when he revealed the injury after a seven-game series loss to Calgary. “I don’t think he would’ve made it back. He was banged up. He also had a bad groin. He’s a banged-up body, but he’s a real warrior.”
Seguin had four points (two goals, two assists) and averaged 19:51 in time on ice.
He said that he felt he managed himself through the injuries and recovery last season, and that was part of the reason why his numbers were down. He pushed harder to get in front of the goal and he scored more gritty goals. That said, he didn’t have the open ice speed and his one-timer wasn’t as effective.
After an off-season of work, he believes he can get back to his old way of playing.
Video: DAL@MTL: Seguin makes dazzling move for OT winner
“I do,” he said, noting his workouts tell him he is stronger and healthier this training camp. “As far as training and numbers, I got it back to where it was. It’s a little bit better.”
Seguin said the off-season was noticeably different because he hadn’t been able to spring or do things that had been normal for him.
“I was doing some running stuff and some sprinting, and I haven’t done that in three years,” he said.
He remains cautious and says, “we’ll see” on some questions, but he is definitely in a place where he could push his numbers back up. He scored 24 goals last season. He has scored more than 30 on five different occasions in his career.
“I put a lot of onus on myself,” he said at the end of last year. “If I can get back in the 30 range, that would help a lot. It’s finding that confidence in my body and myself. It’s getting that explosiveness back, I know I need one more summer and I’m excited about it.”
Video: New coach DeBoer on leading Stars for first time
New coach Pete DeBoer said he’s also excited about Seguin’s potential.
“I’ve always admired his offensive game and the player he is,” DeBoer said. “I know he’s had a couple of tough years, he’s not alone in that boat. You don’t have to look farther than Nashville and see (Matt) Duchene and (Ryan) Johansen last year. I think Tyler is capable of that.
“I think he’s healthy, he looks energized, he’s shooting the puck, scoring in practice. There’s no reason that he can’t have a real good year.”
Duchene went from 13 points in 34 games to 86 points in 78 games. Johansen saw his numbers rise from 22 points in 48 games to 63 points in 79 games. Seguin could definitely be in line for that sort of improvement.
In addition to a strong summer on and off the ice, the skilled center said he’s looking forward to playing for the new coaching staff.
Video: NHL Tonight previews the Stars’ 2022-23 campaign
“It’s been phenomenal,” Seguin said of the first two days of workouts under DeBoer and assistants Steve Spott and Alain Nasreddine. “Nothing is gray. The X’s and O’s are very vocalized, so you know what they’re talking about and you know what they’re saying. There’s a lot more new terminology, stuff I haven’t heard before, which is cool. “
Seguin said he has worked in the Toronto area with Spott during the past 10 summers, and said he believes the transition is just one more thing to look forward to.
“Pete has come in and we’ve seen his teams in the past with their possession and how it is to play against them, how fast they are,” Seguin said. “Exciting things happening in Dallas.”
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.
Mike Heika is a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika.
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