"I can confidently say that I can do pretty much 98 percent of the things in the gym now, which is really exciting," the forward told The Athletic in comments published Tuesday. "It has taken a long time to get here. There are certain things like sprinting that have been a little bothersome but, on the ice, I feel pretty much back to normal, which is exciting for me."
Seguin had surgery Nov. 2, 2020, to repair a hip injury he dealt with while helping the Stars reach the 2020 Stanley Cup Final. He made his debut last season on May 3 and scored two goals in three games despite the hip not being 100 percent.
The absences of Seguin and forward Alexander Radulov, who was limited to 11 games last season before having core muscle surgery, contributed to the Stars finishing 18th in goals per game (2.79) and failing to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Seguin scored at least 33 goals in five of his first six seasons with Dallas (2013-19).
"It's funny, I've been mentally trying to find the line of me just being so happy to be out there with the guys but also being focused and detail-oriented," Seguin said after skating at 5-on-5 with teammates. "Coming in today, goof off with the guys and be a normal athlete again, that's the biggest thing I missed the most, was being teammates with all these guys."
Seguin said he tested positive for COVID-19 in recent weeks despite being fully vaccinated. He took two weeks off, staying in bed most of the time, before returning to the ice Wednesday. He said he is still trying to regain his sense of smell and has dealt with cramping and issues with his nose and lungs but that he is progressing every day.
Training camp begins Sept. 23, and the Stars open the regular season Oct. 14 at the New York Rangers.
"No matter what," Seguin said, "it's hard not to have a smile on my face when competing and being back on the ice."
