Tyler Seguin’s preseason debut with the Stars; Sabres and Canucks worried about injuries

Tyler Seguin is expected to return to the ice this week, making his preseason debut for the Dallas Stars in Friday evening’s game against the Minnesota Wild. The forward has not played since December 2, when he suffered serious knee-joint trouble (an ACL complication) and underwent surgery on December 16. He has expressed anticipation and nervousness about the return, but also joy at being back in the game.

As the NHL reports, the preseason game will be Seguin’s first test after nine months of recovery, while before the injury he had 17 points in 27 games (7 goals, 10 assists) and was +10 for the Stars. The coach also expects forwards Matt Duchene (maintenance) and Colin Blackwell (partly injured) to be ready before the season starts; they will not play in this friendly but are expected back for the championship opener on October 2 against the St. Louis Blues.

At the Buffalo Sabres, goalie Alex Lyon is being evaluated for an upper-body injury after a hit during the game that ended in a 3-2 overtime loss on Saturday to the Detroit Red Wings; he was replaced by Colten Ellis. Forward Jiri Kulich missed Friday’s practice for maintenance reasons, after preventively leaving the last game, but is expected to take part in the preseason finale. Defenseman Olen Zellweger, who is rehabbing after a hit to the head, practiced and is expected to be ready next week. As a defensive precaution, the Sabres signed a one-year contract with Matt Grzelcyk.

The Vancouver Canucks face immediate consequences of their friendly: Filip Chytil suffered a right-shoulder injury late in the first period and did not return in the 2-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. The injury happened after he collided with an opponent while chasing a loose puck, his skates tangled with the referee’s and it ended with a hard hit into the boards; he went first to the bench and then to the locker room for examinations. Canucks coach Manny Malhotra said imaging will be done to determine the extent of the injury. At the New Jersey Devils, defenseman Seamus Casey was injured during the second period in the 4-3 shootout loss to the New York Rangers and will need further evaluation, according to coach Sheldon Keefe.

Teams are carefully monitoring the players’ condition before the season starts, with doubts and temporary signings that may determine the early lineups. The data comes from the NHL.