Tyler Seguin was hopeful to make his return on Thursday night, but the Stars will have to wait just a bit longer. (Getty)
Well, that’s one way to take some of the excitement out of the NHL playoffs.
At least for Thursday night.
Despite some serious progress in his rehab regime, Dallas Stars forward Tyler Seguin will miss Game 1 of the Western Conference quarterfinals against the Minnesota Wild. The news came just hours before puck drop:
The announcement was a bit of a surprise, even for Seguin himself, who told The Dallas News, “Is that the news?” after participating in the Stars morning skate on Thursday.
Seguin has been working to get back on to the ice for several weeks now after sustaining an Achilles injury that has kept him on the bench since March 18. He missed the final 10 games of the season and did not return to skating until Monday.
Dallas coach Lindy Ruff told The Dallas News:
If this was a Game 7 he’d probably play. You’d take that chance. You’d take a kick at it. But right now, we’re not there. These guys have done a terrific job. We can give him the opportunity of two more days of practice and really ramping it up, which gives him three full days and I think that will make him an even more hungrier and effective player.
Of course, Seguin’s importance to the Stars can’t be overstated.
The forward finished the regular season with 73 points (33 goals, 40 assists) in 72 games and has been one of the most dominant scorers in the entire league. He landed in Dallas before the 2013-14 season and has averaged 1.05 points per game since then.
While Seguin was certainly disappointed at the prospect of being sidelined for Game 1, the Stars will not be without offensive talent on Thursday night. Dallas won eight of its last 10 while Seguin was injured and scored 34 goals during that stretch. The All-Star is expected to make his return in Game 2 on Saturday, April 16.
Minnesota, meanwhile, has already announced that forwards Zach Parise and Thomas Vanek will be sidelined for Game 1 and 2 of the series.