"I feel good," the 30-year-old center said. "I feel a lot better."
Over the past few years, Seguin has dealt with a sliced Achilles tendon, some knee injuries, and problems with his hip. He missed almost all of the 2020-21 season and then had to battle through 81 games last year, finishing with 49 points (24 goals, 25 assists) - a significant decline in his normal production.
Still, it was an important year as Seguin got healthy and found a new way to play the game. Instead of flying up and down the ice or unleashing a one-timer on the power play, the hobbled forward went to the net and battled for everything he could get.
"You do what you have to do," he said.
This year, however, he can make more plays, he is working in a new system, and he has four points (1 goal, 3 assists) in three games. That's more in line with the point-a-game player he was with Dallas from 2013-19.
"He saw this coming because he felt good, and he was healthy," Stars coach Pete DeBoer said. "In my conversations with him there was never any negativity. He was excited about the year and excited about getting his game back to where he knows he belongs and the fact that he's healthy for the first time in a long time. I think you're seeing a guy who is back to what he should be."
That can add a significant amount of swagger to your game. Seguin said he had some doubts over the previous two seasons, and that created too much negativity.
"The first step is not thinking, that's the easiest thing to pinpoint," Seguin said. "When you have swagger, you're not thinking, you're very instinctive. I feel that's when I play my best."
So how do you lose that? Well, injuries create distractions.
"When you do have injuries, you worry about how it affects you," he said. "That starts to build, and then you start to put more pressure on yourself to produce. Maybe you're falling short of what your own personal standards are, and then there can be a domino effect."
There was for Seguin. He didn't want to think about it last season, but looking back, the doubt was there.
"Sometimes, you do wonder if you're figuring out: `Is this the new me? What exactly is my ceiling? Am I just a third- or fourth-line player?'" he said. "You do have to figure what you're going to be after injuries, and it changes because of how you feel and how you're recovering."
This year, he feels a lot more like the old Seguin. He's skating better, he's got good linemates in Wyatt Johnston and Mason Marchment, and he's playing in a system that feeds his creativity and takes advantage of his offensive skills.
"It's fun," he said.
Marchment and Seguin have developed quick chemistry. Marchment signed as a free agent in the summer and knows Seguin pretty well. The two work out of the same gym in Toronto, and that has been a key ingredient in the success of their line.
"I skated with him all summer," Seguin said. "It's pretty easy to see his skill for his size, his compete, his emotion in games. He's an easy player to play with."
So is Seguin. Now a veteran of 828 NHL regular season games, the boy has grown up quite a bit. He's one of the leaders on the team, and he's one of the players who will help 19-year-old Johnston assimilate. He's come a long way.
But the journey hasn't been easy, and overcoming the injuries was a real chore.
"This summer was all about hard work, and that's where it starts," Seguin said of the formula to get his game back. "You have to put the work in to give yourself a chance. Then, when you get out there, you have to fall back on your compete. I feel healthy, and that's the biggest part of it. That's what you build on."
So maybe the swagger is just the frosting. Maybe the drive and inner fire is what ultimately creates the ability to show the swagger. Whatever the mixture, it sure is nice when it comes naturally.
"It's crazy how fast things can change," Seguin said. "And I'm just hoping things can change just as fast for the better."
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.
Mike Heikais a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika.
