Rumor: NHL superstar could be traded under new head coach.

Huge name surprisingly close to the trading block.

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HockeyFeed
Published 6 years ago
Rumor: NHL superstar could be traded under new head coach.

With hockey moving at a snails pace prior to National Hockey League teams getting their training camps underway, NHL insider Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News took time to field some questions about the team he covers on a day to day basis, the Dallas Stars.

One of the more interesting questions to be tossed his way was one regarding the possibility of a trade involving superstar forward Tyler Seguin, arguably the team's most valuable player with the exception of captain Jamie Benn.Surprisingly, while Heika made it clear he believes it's far more likely the Stars look to sing Seguin to an extension, he did not rule out the possibility entirely.

From Heika(emphasis our own):

Now, I believe Ken HItchcock wants to turn Tyler Seguin into a fantastic two-way center. I believe one of the most important things the Stars will do next season is shape Seguin into the type of player who can win in the playoffs and who can go head-to-head with the best players in the league.

That is the plan right now. If that doesn't work, then maybe the team would consider trading him. But I think they very much believe in Plan A right now.

There's no doubting Seguin's talent offensively however his status as a bonafide two-way player is far from cemented in the NHL, something the fact that he put up plus minus rating of -15 this season despite recording 72 points would appear to indicate. To be fair to Seguin, he has had extremely poor goaltending to rely on over the past few seasons and that likely impacted both his numbers and his play style.

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There's also the matter of the massive salary Seguin is likely to command, especially if he has a strong season under his new coach. Heika believes that it could be in excess of $9 million per season on a long-term deal, and that means the Stars have to be absolutely certain Seguin is the right fit on their team.

Again from Heika:

With Jamie Benn already committed to eight years at $9.5 million a year, you have to be 100 percent sure that Seguin is the guy that fits best with Benn.

That means that this next season will be huge.

If the Stars don't feel Seguin is the right fit under Hitchcock, it would be the second time a trade involving the young superstar shocks the NHL.

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