Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
It’s safe to say it’s been an odd start to the career of Tyler Seguin.
Drafted second overall in the 2010 NHL Draft by the Boston Bruins, Seguin ended his season the way every rookie dreams about; he had his name etched on the Stanley Cup. However, during Boston’s 2011 Stanley Cup run, Seguin didn’t exactly blow everyone away with his offense.
A starter from day one, he only notched eleven goals and eleven assists during his first season. Despite having a memorable two playoff games against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference Finals, his postseason performance left a lot to be desired.
He bounced back a bit in the 2011, scoring 67 points thanks to 29 goals and 38 assists. That being said, he was still prone to going into slumps and only notched three points that postseason.
It wasn’t until the NHL lockout where he actually began flashing his true potential. He jumped across the Atlantic to play for EHC Biel in the Swiss National League while the lockout was ironed out and suddenly became a point-per-night type player. Once the NHL resumed its schedule, the Bruins had to be stoked to be having Seguin return amidst such an impressive scoring streak.
Alas, once he returned to Boston, he again returned to his inconsistent self. The Bruins made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals before losing to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games, but it was hardly thanks to Seguin. Through a career high 22 playoff games, he only scored one goal.
But it was after the postseason where things really got interesting. Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli called Seguin out, claiming he needed to become more of a professional. All of the sudden, rumors began surfacing of late nights out during the series against the Toronto Maple Leafs. A player once seen as a core piece for the team’s future was now being portrayed like a drunken frat boy.
Before you knew it, Seguin, along with Rich Peverley, was dealt to the Dallas Stars. After just three years with the team that drafted him, Seguin was gone. It clearly had to be a sobering moment for the 21-year-old forward.
Now, prepping for his first season in the Lone Star State, one has to wonder if Seguin is finally ready to become the player everyone thought he could be.
On the one hand, he clearly has a ton of motivation this year.
Jettisoned from the only team he knew for being labeled immature and unprofessional, Seguin could very easily tap into an “I’ll show them” mentality. Sometimes this is all it takes to light a fire under someone, and it could lead to Seguin wanting to show Boston how stupid they were for giving up on him. He most certainly has the skill set and ability to do such a thing.
On the other hand, it has to be noted that the switch from Boston to Dallas involves a slight drop-off in overall team talent.
Yes, the Stars have some solid players on their roster, such as Jamie Benn, Alex Goligoski and, when healthy, Kari Lehtonen. But Dallas is also a far cry from competing for the Stanley Cup next year. Not to mention, he’ll no longer have Patrice Bergeron centering his line, which is a steep decline in and of itself.
Who’s to say the sudden shift in contender status doesn’t get to Seguin? If the Stars stumble out of the gate, will he find himself wanting looking for a distraction from on-ice issues? It happens in every sport, and a 21-year-old kid in the fourth biggest market in the country isn’t immune to such things.
At the end of the day, it’s all between the ears for Seguin. Having your first NHL team give up on you will certainly shake your tree. It’s up to him to decide if he’ll use such a thing as motivation or let it derail a ton of potential.
Casey Drottar is an NHL writer for www.Rantsports.com. Follow him on Twitter @CDrottar19 or “Like” him on Facebook
