Dallas Stars forward Tyler Seguin is expected to miss 3-4 weeks with an injured Achilles tendon.Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
All-Star forward Tyler Seguin is likely to miss at least the rest of the regular season for the Western Conference-leading Dallas Stars because of a small cut of his left Achilles tendon.
Seguin had surgery Friday, a day after getting hurt late in the Stars' 4-3 victory over Tampa Bay.
General manager Jim Nill described the injury as a 15 per cent cut on Seguin's left leg that was stitched up during the surgery. The timeframe for his return is 3-4 weeks. The playoffs start in slightly less than four weeks.
Seguin appeared to get tangled up with Lightning defenceman Anton Stralman in the final 30 seconds of the game. Seguin limped to the locker room afterward.
Seguin is third in the NHL with 73 points, and second on the Stars behind All-Star teammate Jamie Benn's 80.
The injury to Seguin came the same night that another top forward, Patrick Sharp, returned from a six-game absence because of a lower-body injury. The Stars are also without defencemen John Klingberg and Jordie Benn, although Klingberg appears close to a return.
Dallas entered Friday with 93 points, two better than Pacific Division-leading Los Angeles and St. Louis, which is second to the Stars in the Central Division.
The Stars play host to the New York Islanders on Saturday night.
NOTES: D Stephen Johns has signed a two-year contract extension. He came over as a prospect from Chicago in the Sharp trade and made his NHL debut against the Blackhawks on March 11. He got his first career NHL goal and point against the Lightning.