HIGHLIGHTS
- Stars filed paperwork Friday ruling out Tyler Seguin for regular season and playoffs, opening $9.85M in cap space
- Dallas now positioned as buyers ahead of March 6 deadline with scoring depth their biggest need
- Seguin tore ACL on Dec. 2, hoped to return for playoffs but won’t be cleared in time
The Stars just cleared the runway for a big trade deadline splash.
Dallas filed paperwork Friday declaring that Tyler Seguin will not return during the regular season or playoffs, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. The move gives the Stars full salary cap relief on Seguin’s $9.85 million cap hit heading into next week’s deadline.
Seguin hasn’t played since Dec. 2 when he tore his ACL against the Rangers. The 34-year-old forward underwent surgery and was pushing for a playoff return, but that’s not happening now.
“Feel for Seguin, who underwent surgery for a torn ACL,” Friedman reported. “Wanted to return, but couldn’t.”
Check out Friedman’s report below:
New CBA rules killed the old playoff LTIR loophole. Teams can’t stash injured guys, load up at the deadline, then magically bring them back when the cap disappears in April. Dallas had to declare Seguin out for the entire season to get full cap relief.
By making it official, the Stars jump from roughly $2 million in deadline cap space to nearly $8 million. That’s real money to work with.
This is the third time in six seasons Seguin has missed more than two-thirds of a season. He had hip surgery in 2020-21 and again in 2024-25. Over the past two years, he’s played just 47 regular-season games out of a possible 164. Injuries have defined the second half of his career.
Last season, Seguin was out from December 1 until April 14 but came back for the playoffs. He tried to do the same this year with the ACL but couldn’t beat the clock.
With Seguin officially done, the Stars have serious flexibility. Scoring depth is their biggest need, especially with veteran center ice time to fill. A right-shot defenseman wouldn’t hurt either.
Names like Nazem Kadri, Blake Coleman, and Justin Faulk have been linked to Dallas in recent days. The Stars will likely target rentals over players with term, as Jason Robertson needs a new contract this summer and they’re already tight against the cap long-term.
The good news? Dallas doesn’t need to replace Seguin. They’re 36-14-9 and riding an eight-game winning streak without him. The deadline additions are about putting them over the top, not filling a hole.
Dallas has been a Stanley Cup contender for six straight years with one Final appearance and three consecutive Western Conference Finals. They’re still chasing that championship, and I’d expect them to be aggressive over the next week.
The March 6 deadline is one week away, and the Stars are right in the middle of a crowded buyer’s market. Teams like Carolina and Tampa Bay are also hunting for upgrades. The Rangers already sold off Artemi Panarin to the Kings on Feb. 4, opening up more rental options across the league.
Losing Seguin for the season obviously isn’t ideal, but the cap relief could help Dallas land the piece that finally gets them over the top.
GM Jim Nill has until 3 p.m. ET on Friday to make his move.
