Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin are playing like 'Stars' again

Much of the Dallas Stars’ offseason was talking about the futures of Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin.

Both of them just missed the 50-point mark last season, so it wasn’t like they were uncompetitive by any means, but when they’re both making more than $9 million to essentially play middle-six hockey, it raises eyebrows. Neither deal will be over anytime soon, either.

The team’s future was becoming centered around Jason Robertson, Jake Oettinger and Miro Heiskanen. Perhaps spending more than $19 million to have two 30-plus-year-olds decline wasn’t the best course of action for a team that many believed could still challenge for a Stanley Cup given the right circumstances.

Look, the Stars gave them their money, and you can’t fight aging as a professional athlete. Moving Benn and Seguin was going to be near impossible. So making the most of their presence – especially Benn as team captain – was the key to a successful season, and a success it has been: Through 12 games, both are bordering on point-per-game totals, playing some of their best hockey in years.

Let’s turn the clock back again for a second. Benn, 33, recorded at least 69 points five times from 2013-14 to 2017-18. A regression from those numbers was to be expected, but by 2019-20, he managed just 19 goals and 39 points in 69 regular-season games. He had a nice playoff run en route to a Stanley Cup Final appearance, but the next two seasons had mixed results. He had 46 points in 82 games last year – that’s the only time since his rookie season in which he failed to break the 50-point mark after playing 70 or more games.

Seguin, 30, saw play his fall off in 2019-20. He had a 30-point dropoff from 80 to 50, albeit with 13 fewer games played due to COVID-19. Still, it was a far cry from the 80 points he had the year before. Seguin finished with 13 points in 26 playoff games, including five assists in five Stanley Cup Final games, but failed to score. For a five-time 30-goal scorer, Seguin didn’t contribute like he needed to. He then failed to hit the 50-point mark last year after playing just three games the season before due to injury, marking the first time he failed to break that barrier in a full campaign since his 22-point rookie season.

This year, they’re back to normal, per se. In the past three games alone, Benn has four goals and eight points, highlighted by a hat trick on Sunday, despite playing just 13:41 a night. Seguin has a point-per-game over his last four contests, registering 15:56 a night. Most of Benn’s damage (seven points) has been on the man advantage, but at 9:46 of 5-on-5 ice time per game, his 2.04 points-per-60 are quite incredible. If the power play is where he’ll keep causing damage, that’s fine. Points are points. Nobody is expecting him to be 25 anymore. He looks comfortable in his new role, and he’s a big reason why the Stars sit fourth with a 29.3 power-play percentage.

Seguin’s decline was primarily due to injuries. Now fully healthy and thriving, he’s back to his old self again, and that’s exactly what the Stars needed to improve their scoring depth. Seguin has been consistent, recording points in his past four games and failing to get on the scoresheet in consecutive games just once. That ability to be dangerous on a nightly basis has been missing in recent years, but he’s on pace for a near 70-point campaign right now.

Despite being without goaltender Jake Oettinger for the past week, the Stars currently sit atop the Central Division with an 8-3-1 record, including a three-game winning streak. Up front, Jason Robertson and Roope Hintz have been spectacular, and Joe Pavelski hasn’t slowed down. On the back end, they’ve been able to get good defense from Miro Heiskanen, Esa Lindell and company. It’s been a full team effort.

It’s been a few years since the Stars have had three dangerous scoring lines. but the addition of Mason Marchment, the promotions for Ty Dellandrea and Wyatt Johnston, and the offensive strength from Benn and Seguin have given this team some extra punch early on.

With the way Oettinger was playing out of the gate, losing him could have been catastrophic, but the team’s depth has shown up and gotten the job done, including Benn and Seguin. Having Seguin and Benn performing again is crucial. Even if it might not be like the good old days, even if they’re not utilized the same way they used to — they’re producing, the Stars are winning and everyone’s happy.

They’ve turned back the clock, and the Stars are flourishing with their best start in over five years.