The 33-year-old was injured during Tuesday night’s game against the New York Rangers, and head coach Glen Gulutan confirmed Wednesday that Seguin will be sidelined for a significant period, delivering another significant injury setback to the depleted Stars roster.
Dallas Stars forward Tyler Seguin, 33, will likely miss the rest of the season after a tangle-up with Rangers defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov led to a torn ACL for Seguin.
“It’s not only hitting us – it’s happening across the league, and it’s really unfortunate,” coach Glen Gulutzan said. “Today’s a tough day with this news. Now it’s on the other guys to step up and fill the void.”
The injury occurred in the first period Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden when Seguin got tangled with Rangers defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov. He immediately went down in obvious pain, was unable to put weight on his leg, and had to be helped off the ice by teammates and a trainer before needing more assistance to reach the locker room.
Gulutzan confirmed the team received discouraging results after further examination of Seguin’s knee.
“Injuries are stacking up and the schedule isn’t letting up, so we just have to keep pushing forward,” he said. “These situations create opportunities for others. Good teams find a way to move on with whoever’s available – next man up, grab the chance, and run with it.”
Seguin, 33, missed nearly all of last season recovering from major hip surgery, returning only for the final regular-season game and Dallas’ run to the Western Conference Final. He has been a Star since the 2013 trade from Boston.
“Even though I wasn’t here last year, I’ve talked to our leadership group enough to know how incredibly hard he worked to come back,” Gulutzan said. “His effort and attention to detail were remarkable. He’s an outstanding leader and a true pro – honestly one of the players who has impressed me most with his leadership since I arrived.”
Nathan Bastian slotted into the lineup Tuesday against New Jersey in Seguin’s absence. Longer term, the Stars are hopeful that center Matt Duchene can help replace some of Seguin’s production once he returns from his own injury, which Gulutzan said could happen “sooner rather than later” if his recovery stays on track.
“You’re going to need guys to rise to the occasion,” Gulutzan added. “When Duchy gets back, he’ll have to carry more of it. Mavrik Bourque will get a bigger role. Opportunities are opening up for a lot of players now – we’ll see who seizes them. Nobody’s locked into anything; it’s about who steps forward and takes it.”
