Stars CEO calls out Benn and Seguin

It is no secret that Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin have not been having the greatest year. Seguin who just signed an 8-year extension with a 9.85 AAV has 11 goals and 21 assists through 38 games and Jamie Benn who is the team’s captain is leading the Stars in goals with 15 and has also tallied 15 assists in his 38 games. Benn currently sits 73rd in the league in scoring and Seguin sits 62nd.

Stars CEO Jim Lites has had enough of Benn and Seguin’s lackluster performances this season. Sean Shapiro of The Athletic posted an article today and this is what Lites had to say about the Stars top duo. “They are f*cking horse-sh*t. I don’t know how else to put it…The team was ok. But Benn and Seguin were terrible.”

Lites does have point. This season has been arguably the worst season for the two in their Dallas careers. Neither player is on pace to touch 70 points this season while there are players that are sitting at 50 points before the midway point of the season.

Lites also addressed the notion that Seguin hits the post and crossbar more than any other player in the league. To that he said “He’s hitting posts, ‘wah-wah.’ That’s what I say about hitting posts. Get a little bit closer to the action, actually go to the spot where you score goals. He doesn’t do that, he never does that anymore. He used to be a pest to play against, people hated playing against Tyler Seguin, they don’t anymore.”

Something I would like to know is where did the old Jamie Benn go. The one who could take over games with with a deadly wrister. That is the Jamie Benn that Stars fans miss.

It isn’t just Lites that is frustrated with the two. Stars GM Jim Nill and owner Tom Gaglardi have also been disappointed in the Benn and Seguins performance.

Benn and Seguin spoke about the matter today at practice.

“Not good enough,” Seguin said. “I’ve got to play better. I’m trying to do a job, and I haven’t had the right results.”

“I think it’s pretty self-explanatory; if this team wants to get to the next level that starts with myself,” Benn said. “And that’s exactly what needs to happen, we need to get better.”

The Stars front office has made it clear this is not something that they want hidden any longer which is why they spoke out on the matter. Benn and Seguin should now know that something needs to change because the front office will not tolerate the poor play by the teams supposed ‘two best players’.

Now it is time to see how Benn and Seguin respond to the comments. There will be plenty of eyeballs keeping close tabs on the two Saturday night when the Stars host the Detroit Red Wings at American Airlines Center.

How Benn and Seguin respond could be the difference between a spark to a playoff run or picking up the golf clubs in early April sitting a few points out of the last wild card spot.

Cover photo credit: Blitzweekly.com
Chris Bugajsky covers the Dallas Stars for Full Press Coverage. Follow Chris on twitter @CBugajsky14.