Tyler Seguin's Contract Is (Still) Not a Problem for the Dallas Stars

Let's not do this again

PC: Amanda Spielberger

In the summer of 2018, Tyler Seguin became eligible for a contract extension in Dallas.

Two years prior, Jamie Benn had signed a max-term, eight-year contract for a $9.5 million annual salary cap hit, fresh off a 41-goal, 89-point season even better than his Art Ross Trophy campaign the year before.

So with Seguin coming off his own 40-goal season under Ken Hitchcock, everyone in Dallas was clamoring for him to be locked down long-term. Sure, it would cost a whole lot more than Seguin’s previous $5.75 million annual number—a bargain contract Boston had foolishly traded to Dallas—but this was Tyler Seguin, and he scored goals. Lots of ‘em.

Table from HockeyDB

At this point, Seguin was 26 years old. The Stars had no desire to let the year drag on while Seguin approached free agency in 2019, particularly with the team having missed the playoffs two years in a row. This was exactly the sort of player you lock down.

So the Stars did that, announcing the extension on social media with a video so delightful, Twitter hasn’t been able to keep it up.

Here’s what Seguin said at the time: