But the Stars forward was out there in full gear, working on his skills, the only All-Star actually practicing.
DeBoer called the 23-year-old's work ethic "unmatched" on the latest episode of "The Chirp with Daren Millard" podcast.
"I didn't know much [before I arrived in Dallas], but, wow, what an athlete, what a person," said DeBoer, who was hired on June 22 as coach of the Stars. "A really unique individual.
"Over the last decade we've talked about getting personalities in the game in hockey like they have in some other sports. This guy is one of those guys. He beats to his own drum. He's a very intelligent guy. He sees the game in a different way than a lot of players, which makes him great."
The Stars (31-16-13) have had a successful campaign so far under DeBoer, who was hired to replace Rick Bowness, after DeBoer himself was fired by the Vegas Golden Knights on May 16 after three seasons.
Dallas is first in the Central Division, one point ahead of the Minnesota Wild.
Did it surprise him how well this season has gone?
"Not really," DeBoer said. "This is my 15th, 16th year in this League. … I never thought my time in Vegas was a failure. In fact, I thought it was one of the better coaching jobs I've done in my career. Maybe I've got my head in the sand a little bit, but I felt we did a good enough job that I thought someone would call."
But as well as the Stars are doing this season, DeBoer still thinks there's a team to beat in the Western Conference -- and it's not his team.
It's the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche.
"I do believe it's wide open," DeBoer said. "I think you could throw a blanket over eight or 10 teams, and anybody could win. I think Colorado went through the first half of the year up until now what we went through in Vegas last year, kind of stumbled around through it the best they can, but they're getting healthy now. I think they're starting to find a level that everyone thought they would play at.
"For me, that's still the team to beat."
But DeBoer's most emphatic answer came when asked if he might be interested in becoming an NHL general manager someday, as Barry Trotz is set to do when Nashville Predators general manager David Poile retires at the end of the season.
"No chance," he said. "Zero."
"The Chirp with Daren Millard" features interviews with players, executives, alumni and other personalities around the game and is available now on multiple iOS and Android podcast apps. You can share your thoughts on Twitter using the hashtag #ChirpMillard.
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