Jim Nill Gives Encouraging Tyler Seguin ACL Update

DALLAS — Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill said Thursday that he had spoken with Tyler Seguin that morning and that Seguin is back on the ice. Nill made the comments in an interview on NHL Network. Seguin has not played since Dec. 2, when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee at Madison Square Garden.

Quite a few Stars are already back skating.

“I just spoke with him this morning. Quite a few of the guys are back skating now,” Nill said. “He’s back on the ice, he’s feeling good. He had surgery December 6, I would believe it was, so he’s at the nine months mark, which for ACL injuries that’s a pretty good window. So he feels good, he’s excited, he wants to get back at it. It’s a big year for him.”

“He was a big loss for us when we lost him the first of December,” Nill continued. “He was like our third leading scorer. He had, I think, 14 or 15 goals already. And his game had really matured. He’s good on draws. He can score. He was killing penalties for us.”

“So it’s kind of exciting to watch a young man’s game, how it’s evolved over the years,” Nill added. “He was thought of as the run-and-gun offensive guy. Now to see his game coming around where he’s one of the leaders on the team, it’s kind of rewarding, and I’m happy for him where his game’s come.”

Tyler Seguin’s ACL Surgery And Recovery Window

Seguin skated Tuesday at the team’s practice facility as part of the captain’s skate. He was hurt in the first period of a 3-2 overtime loss at the New York Rangers, when Rangers defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov fell on his right knee. Dr. Dan Cooper performed the surgery in Dallas on Dec. 16, and the Stars said at the time that Seguin’s timeframe for a return to play would be reevaluated after the Olympic break. Recovery from the procedure averages around nine months, according to NHL.com.

Stars coach Glen Gulutzan said the day after the injury that Seguin would be out for a significant amount of time, probably the rest of the season.

Seguin finished last season with 7 goals, 10 assists, and 17 points in 27 games. He was plus-10, averaged 16:40 of ice time, won 53.6% of his faceoffs, and put 31 shots on goal. He played his 1,000th NHL game on Oct. 30 at Tampa Bay, a 2-1 shootout loss.

On Feb. 27, the Stars filed the paperwork declaring Seguin out for the rest of the regular season and the playoffs, which gave Dallas full cap relief ahead of the March 6 trade deadline. Dallas went 50-20-12 for 112 points and finished second in the Central Division. The Minnesota Wild eliminated the Stars in six games in the first round.

Two Straight Seasons Cut Short For Tyler Seguin

Last season was the second in a row cut short. Hip surgery ended Seguin’s 2024-25 after 20 games, in which he had 9 goals, 12 assists, and 21 points. He returned for the regular-season finale and then played all 18 playoff games, scoring 4 goals and 4 assists.

Across 1,016 regular-season games, Seguin has 367 goals, 459 assists, and 826 points. In 151 playoff games, he has 29 goals, 50 assists, and 79 points. The Boston Bruins took him second overall in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, and he has spent his last 13 seasons in Dallas.

Dallas Stars’ Contract Situation And Camp Dates

Seguin is in the final year of the eight-year, $78.8 million contract he signed in 2018, at a $9.85 million cap hit. He is one of nine pending unrestricted free agents on the Dallas roster, according to TSN. The Stars are also among four teams with reported interest in unrestricted free agent winger Patrik Laine.

Dallas opens training camp Sept. 17 at Comerica Center in Frisco. The exhibition schedule starts Sept. 19 at St. Louis with a 6 p.m. CT puck drop. The Stars host the St. Louis Blues in the regular-season opener on Oct. 2 at American Airlines Center, with puck drop at 8 p.m. CT on TNT.