Puck Prose
Fansided

Dallas Stars: Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn Receive High Praise from GM

By Diana Driscoll

facebooktwitterreddit

Dallas Stars GM Jim Nill thinks highly of young and budding stars Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn, calling the duo the next Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews combination.

"“Benn and Seguin remind me of Toews and Kane when they were 22, 23, 24 years of age. And I think we’re trying to get there. We’re close, I think.” —Yahoo Sports"

That says a lot about what these two players have done and will be expected to do moving forward. Nill is essentially calling them the cornerstones and building blocks the team will be centered on moving forward. They will be the driving factors behind the success (or failure) of the Dallas Stars.

"Benn, 25, and Seguin, 23, have played together for the past two seasons, scoring a combined 327 points. Toews and Kane have combined for 265 points in that span, though they played in 27 fewer games. —Yahoo Sports"

Clearly these two have chemistry. Both are also highly skilled forwards; Seguin with his quick hands and explosive speed and Benn is a steady presence on the ice and has a playmaker’s touch. Benn might be one of those underappreciated talents who doesn’t turn hears with his fancy skills, but does everything needed to win. When they play together everything just clicks.

So we have Benn and Seguin playing Toews and Kane respectively. And then we have Johnny Oduya (playing himself) and Patrick Sharp (also playing himself). Looks like Nill is trying to put together his own version of the Chicago Blackhawks.

And why wouldn’t he? The Blackhawks have won three Cups in the last six years, and the Dallas Stars haven’t won a Cup since 1999.

More from Editorials

Nill seems to be emulating Chicago’s style and is starting to build a supporting cast for his two young stars. While he will obviously rely on them heavily, as the Blackhawks do with Kane and Toews, the Stars will also be looking for depth to drive their success.

The pressure is on for Benn and Seguin. You can’t be compared to Toews and Kane and not show up. Where they will really need to make their mark is in the playoffs. That is where Toews and Kane shin the most (have you ever wondered why Kane is dubbed “Showtime?”)

Do I believe that Benn and Seguin are on the same level as Toews and Kane? No, but I understand where Nill is drawing the comparison from. Stanley Cups aside, these four players share many similarities when talking about skill, leadership and the level of importance to their respective teams. These are the guys you look to to lead you, and are the guys that will put you on the board.

The comment by Nill should be a great confidence booster for Benn and Seguin as it aligns them with hockey’s elite and shows them how much respect Nill has for their talents. But it can also act as a motivator to push them even further and finally end their playoff woes.

Next: Dallas Stars 2015

More from Puck Prose

Home/Editorials