The Dallas Stars announced that goaltender Ben Bishop and forward Tyler Seguin will be out long term after undergoing surgery.
Stars announce Ben Bishop and Tyler Seguin will be out at least 5 months after surgery. Would put both on track to return in early April if timelines hold up pic.twitter.com/7nqT8w732v
— Sean Shapiro (@seanshapiro) November 3, 2020
Ben Bishop and Tyler Seguin Out Long Term
Both Seguin and Bishop were injured during the Stars playoff run to the Stanley Cup finals. Bishop was limited to only three games, while Seguin played in 26 games and collected 13 points. In Bishop’s absence Stars backup Anton Khudobin stepped up and played very well. It’s a big blow to the Stars. They are looking to build off their finals appearance, but must now do it without two of their best players.
Ben Bishop had surgery to repair a torn meniscus on October 21st. The recovery is five months (from the date of the surgery) which would only see him return in late March. This news made the re-signing of Khudobin even more important for the Stars moving forward. Before the pandemic ended the NHL season, Bishop posted a 21-16-4 record with a 2.50 GAA and a .920 save percentage. The Denver, Colorado native was originally drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the third round of the 2005 NHL draft.
Seguin had surgery to repair his right hip and repair a torn labral. The operation was performed on November 2nd, so he will only be available in early April. He was able to play through his injury during the playoffs, but it was obvious he was labouring.
What this means for the Future
The Stars are going to need some young bodies to step up. While there is no way to replace players like Ben Bishop and Tyler Seguin, the Stars need to do it by committee. Khudobin will need to continue his playoff form and young Jake Oettinger will need to take a step forwards.
Denis Gurianov is another player that needs to build off a strong playoff. Guiranov posted nine goals and 17 points in 27 games. If Gurianov can continue to develop he will help fill the void left in Seguin’s absence.
