First Shift: Stars open five-game homestand with NHL-leading Panthers

Tyler Seguin skated with his teammates on Monday, and that’s a good sign.

The veteran forward has been out since Feb. 24 with a lower body injury, and while there is no timeline for his return to actual games, his appearance on the practice ice means he is closer to getting back onto a line with Matt Duchene and Mason Marchment that has been the Stars’ best trio for most of the season.

In the meantime, Sam Steel could be a nice surrogate. Stars coach Pete DeBoer has worked a couple of players in on the line, most notably Ty Dellandrea, but has also given Steel a chance or two. The 26-year-old forward has proven a great fit in a lot of different situations, and he might be here, as well.

“He’s been a little bit of a Swiss Army Knife for us,” Stars coach Pete DeBoer said. “I think he fits in a bunch of places. I like him in the middle of the ice, just because of his speed and his ability to transport the puck from zone to zone, but he fit in there well last game. We’ve tried him at different points, and sometimes it’s worked and sometimes it hasn’t. Hopefully, he can fill that role until Seggy gets back.”

Steel has had an interesting run. He was drafted in the first round (30th overall) by Anaheim in 2016 and then went out and led all of Major Junior in scoring with 131 points (50 goals, 81 assists) in 66 games. After four seasons in Anaheim, Steel did not receive a qualifying offer in 2022 and signed a one-year deal with the Minnesota Wild. After a year in Minnesota, he was again not extended a qualifying offer, and this time signed with Dallas on a one-year deal.

“It’s a great story,” DeBoer said. “He’s faced a lot of adversity early in his career and he found a way. He’s reinventing himself. He’s always been an offensive player, but he’s been playing fourth line, faceoffs, penalty killing, he’s adding layers to his game to keep himself relevant. Hopefully, he’s going to give himself a chance to get back into those offensive opportunities.”

Playing on a line with Duchene and Marchment is a great opportunity. Duchene is second on the Stars in scoring with 58 points (23 goals, 35 assists) in 64 games played. He’s also one of the great communicators on the team and tries to have a game plan for each opponent.

“Both of those guys are really vocal on what we’re trying to do out there,” Steel said. “That helps you become more predictable as a line. You kind of know where they’re going to be, and there are little plays you can build on.”

This season, Steel has posted 20 points (7 goals, 13 assists) in 61 games. He has jumped all over the lineup, and likely will move again when Seguin returns, but he’s making a good impression on the coaching staff and maybe gaining some confidence in the process.

“He’s a skilled player, and if you’re a skilled player you want to play with skilled players,” DeBoer said. “Guys you give the puck to, you know you’ve got a chance to get it back. Skill guys who are relied on to create offense are looking for similar types of guys.”

For Steel, it’s just doing whatever he can to help his team win.

“I’ve played in a lot of different roles in my career, and that’s something I’ve proven myself in – to be able to fill in wherever they need me in the lineup,” he said. “We like where we’re at right now, but we can still keep building and building those habits that we’ve been working on all year.”

Key Numbers

600
Stars coach Pete DeBoer recorded his 600th career victory Saturday in a 4-1 win over the Kings. DeBoer is 600-417-149 in his career. His best points percentage is in his two seasons with the Stars, where he is 87-38-23 for a .666 points percentage.

2.34
Florida ranks first in the NHL in goals against per game at 2.34. Dallas ranks second in scoring at 3.62 goals per game.

29-1-4
Florida is 29-1-4 when scoring the first goal, the best record in the NHL. The Stars are 18-13-4 when trailing first, which also leads the League.

He Said It

“These are the games you want at this time of the year. You want to be playing against the best. We’ve got a couple nice challenges ahead. It’s easy to stay in the moment and focus on our game.”

- Florida forward Sam Reinhart on the Panthers playing Dallas, Carolina and Tampa Bay this week.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.

Mike Heika is a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika.