The Dallas Stars will be without forward Matt Duchene for around three months after he underwent surgery to repair a core injury, something Stars coach Glen Gulutzan acknowledged will inevitably impact Dallas’ outlook.
Duchene had already been placed on long-term injured reserve retroactive to Sept. 29 after dealing with a lower-body issue during training camp.
Dallas announced Monday that Duchene required and successfully underwent surgery, as well as the forward’s recovery timeline.
“(Duchene) had some issues [during training camp], and then we thought [if] we took some time [he] could work through them,” Gulutzan said. “And then [he] couldn’t, so then we had another look at it, and a collection of those minds decided let’s take care of it rather than just work through it.
“It was more of a chronic thing that they didn’t want to kick down the road anymore.”
The bigger concern for Dallas is what Duchene’s absence removes from an offense that has started the season slowly. The Stars are averaging 2.20 goals per game, tied for the sixth-worst figure, while their power play ranks third-worst in the NHL.
“You lose a guy that, you know, a couple years ago (2024-25) had 82 points,” Gulutzan said. “You take those guys out of your lineup, you lose offense. I mean, that’s the reality. No offense to anybody in this room, but if I plug you in that hole, you’re not going to give me any offense. You can’t just put anybody in there, right?
“That’s why these are special players. So you’ve got to get other guys to chip in now, and even be better defensively, which we have been. I mean, we’ve allowed one goal in the last three games. But certainly when you keep taking pieces out, offensive guys, it does affect your offense.”
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Duchene had 45 points on 16 goals and 29 assists in 57 regular-season games last season and added nine points in six playoff games.
Gulutzan, however, acknowledged that Duchene’s eventual return should be easier to manage than last season’s when he was coming off a concussion-related absence.
“I think he’s going to be able to come back easier because history for this is it’s a physical thing,” Gulutzan said. “Last year, obviously, was a concussion, and that’s tough to deal with. This is a physical thing. So, you actually know what steps you can go through.”
Dallas hosts the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. ET.
