First Shift 🏒
Adversity has been a familiar linemate to Seguin in his 16-year NHL career.
That’s why Thursday’s 1,000th regular season game at Tampa Bay is such a big deal.
Seguin, 33, should have passed this milestone years ago. He started his career as an 18-year-old after being selected second overall in the 2010 NHL Draft. He chewed up games and spewed out points early in his career, winning the Stanley Cup with Boston in his rookie season and then becoming one of the top scorers for the Stars after a trade to Dallas.
But along the way, injuries started to pile up. He had his Achilles tendon cut by a skate blade in 2016. He had a couple of knee surgeries, along with repair work to his hip and groin in 2020, as well. Then, last year, after flying out of the gate in the first 20 games, he decided to have surgery to repair his other hip.
That put him on long-term injured reserve until April. He returned to play the regular season finale and 18 playoff games, and he has looked great since, but the battle has been difficult.
“It shows how good a player he is in that he is able to adapt after many years in the league,” said defenseman Esa Lindell.
While coach Glen Gulutzan added: “You watch him even this year and he’s playing center, wing, on different lines, he’s been a huge help. At a time when [Benn] is out, he’s taken a big leadership role on the team, and he’s really helping us push through some things.”
Benn has been out since late September after surgery to repair a collapsed lung. Duchene – a long time Seguin linemate – has been in and out after taking a high hit in the third game of the season. Seguin has then had to bounce from wing on a line with Hintz and Mikko Rantanen to center for Adam Erne and Colin Blackwell. And he has been effective in pretty much every game.
He has 5 points (3 goals, 2 assists) in 10 games, which is less than he wants, but the team also is 6-3-1 over the span.
“It can be a good thing,” Seguin said of the adversity. “You look at the last few weeks, and I’m not necessarily putting up points, but these are the times where in the past I might be getting down on myself and now every day I’m happy to be here.”
Seguin said he’s finding joy in little things like playing cards on the plane or hanging out with teammates. That hammers home just how important 1,000 games is to the veteran forward.
“It’s cool now,” Seguin said of the accomplishment. “Some things that have happened over the [past] handful of years. It’s nothing I never thought about before, but it’s cool to be there.
“It’s just from different moments over the years there were times when I wasn’t fully locked in that I would be back or that I would have anything left,” he said. “Now, just to be healthy and contribute in different ways, that’s awesome.”