Seguin returns from ACL, but Benn's collapsed lung reshapes Stars before opener
Tyler Seguin's return from a torn ACL is timed for his contract year and the season opener on 2 October. But captain Jamie Benn suffered a collapsed lung in the preseason, forcing Dallas to reshape its forward group just before the start.
Tyler Seguin skated back into preseason action on 25 September against the Minnesota Wild, ending a nine-month absence from a torn ACL just in time for Dallas to lean on him in his contract year. Captain Jamie Benn, meanwhile, suffered a collapsed lung in the preseason, forcing the Stars to reshape their forward group before the season opens on 2 October.
Seguin's return from injury
Per NHL.com, Seguin made his preseason debut on 25 September against the Minnesota Wild, playing 13 minutes 57 seconds and finishing plus-1 as Dallas won 2-1, with goals from Radek Faksa and Thomas Harley. The return closed a nine-month chapter that opened when defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov collided with his knee on 2 December 2025, tearing his right ACL in a game against the New York Rangers. Surgery followed on 16 December.
For a player with 826 regular-season points (367 goals and 459 assists) across 1,016 games and the No. 2 overall pick in the 2010 draft, per NHL.com, the injury posed serious questions about recovery. Coach Glen Gulutzan told NHL.com he wanted Seguin to play in the final preseason game before the real season started, and that expectation held. "In one way it's nice to get that out of the way, in another way it was just so much fun," Seguin said, per NHL.com.
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Seguin tears ACL (vs New York Rangers) | 2 December 2025 |
| ACL surgery | 16 December 2025 |
| Preseason debut (vs Minnesota) | 25 September 2026 |
| Benn suffers collapsed lung | Preseason vs Minnesota |
| Season opener (vs St. Louis at AAC) | 2 October 2026 |
The contract-year stakes
This return is freighted with consequence. Per NHL.com, Seguin is in the final year of an eight-year deal with a $9.85 million salary cap hit, signed in September 2018. Last season, per NHL.com, before the injury ended his run in 27 games, he had recorded 7 goals and 10 assists—but GM Jim Nill told NHL.com: "He might have been playing the best hockey I've seen since I've been in Dallas." That momentum dissolved in one collision. Now, with one season left, Seguin enters the most pivotal year of his career in terms of health, output and what comes next.
Benn's absence reshapes the plan
The complications came swiftly. Per NHL.com, Benn suffered a collapsed lung in a preseason game against Minnesota and will miss at least four weeks. The outlet reported that Benn cannot fly for four weeks, meaning he will miss the home opener on 2 October and cannot travel for away games in the early stretch of the season. The loss of a veteran captain from the locker room and the ice is not a marginal blow.
Dallas had set up Seguin to play right wing alongside Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson, per NHL.com. With Benn out, the Stars must either reshuffle their top six or lean heavily on depth. Matt Duchene and Colin Blackwell rested in preseason for maintenance and are expected to be ready for the opener, per NHL.com, but depth is not the same as having your captain present.
The home opener
The Stars open at home against the St. Louis Blues at American Airlines Center on 2 October, per NHL.com. Coach Gulutzan's words about both players capture what Dallas has and what it is missing. "They're pure guys. What I mean by that is 8 minutes, 10 minutes, power play, no power play, they just want to win," he told NHL.com. Seguin can deliver the offence the team craves; Benn cannot deliver anything from recovery.
Dallas enters the season with both an asset and a challenge. Seguin's preseason appearance proved the recovery timeline was sound—he played 13 minutes 57 seconds with a plus-1 rating in his first game back. But Benn's absence will test the depth and lean on Seguin to produce before his body has fully reintegrated across a full season. The home opener against St. Louis will be the first test of whether the Stars can balance the return with the loss.