Duchene Is Out Three Months — Dallas's 7.7% Power Play Faces a Bigger Test
GOATIFYMatt Duchene's absence has turned into a major early-season problem for the Dallas Stars. The 35-year-old forward underwent surgery to repair a core injury, and the team announced October 12 that he is expected to miss approximately three months. What initially looked like a training-camp issue that rest might resolve will now keep a proven playmaker out until roughly January, subject to recovery.
Dallas is 2-2-1 and has averaged only 2.20 goals per game. Its power play is converting 7.7 percent of opportunities, compared with 28.6 percent last season. The Stars still have Mikko Rantanen, Jason Robertson, Wyatt Johnston and Roope Hintz, but the loss of Duchene removes an important option precisely when their offense is struggling to generate consistent chances.
Why a training-camp injury became a three-month absence
Matt Duchene's surgery changes the outlook for Dallas. The Stars had hoped their veteran forward would recover in time for the opening stretch, but the new timetable is roughly three months. His absence creates additional responsibility for the remaining forwards, especially on the power play. Dallas will need to find more offense without a player who has been one of its most dependable creators.
That is more than a temporary change of line combinations. Duchene is comfortable carrying the puck through traffic, connecting with wingers and making quick decisions in tight spaces. Those skills help a team generate chances when an opponent has time to organize its defensive coverage. The Stars must now find those contributions elsewhere. They cannot simply wait for one player to return before improving their execution.
For the coaching staff, stability will matter. Repeatedly changing every forward line can create more uncertainty. Giving skilled players defined responsibilities and allowing combinations to build familiarity offers a more sustainable path through a difficult stretch.
Duchene's scoring history shows what Dallas is missing
Duchene's importance becomes clearer when his recent scoring record is placed alongside the current slump. In 2024-25, he led Dallas with 82 points in 82 games, scoring 30 goals and adding 52 assists. That was one of the best campaigns of his long NHL career. The Stars responded by signing him to a four-year, $18 million extension, keeping an experienced scorer at a $4.5 million annual cap hit.
His 2025-26 season was less productive but still valuable. Duchene recorded 16 goals and 29 assists in 57 regular-season games, then contributed nine points in six playoff appearances. The 35-year-old is not simply a specialist who waits for shots. He can move the puck into dangerous areas, create for teammates and provide a second scoring line with another player capable of making the decisive pass.
That versatility matters because Dallas already asks a great deal of its other stars. Mikko Rantanen is a major offensive driver, Jason Robertson is a dangerous finisher, and Wyatt Johnston and Roope Hintz provide speed, movement and playmaking through the middle. Without Duchene, opposing teams can concentrate more attention on those players. The remaining depth forwards need to offer a genuine threat rather than merely occupying space around the stars.
Duchene also brings experience that is difficult to replace with a simple lineup promotion. Selected third overall by Colorado in 2009, he has amassed 936 points across 1,195 regular-season games. He understands how to adjust when a defense takes away a preferred passing lane or forces a line to attack from a different angle. Those are small decisions that accumulate into better offensive possessions.
The Stars do not need a replacement to imitate Duchene's style exactly. They need enough combined creativity to avoid becoming predictable. One player might handle more puck distribution, another might drive the net, and a third might take on more power-play responsibility. The collective solution will matter far more than finding a single new name for his old position.
A 7.7 percent power play leaves the Stars no room to wait
The offensive numbers make the stakes clear. Through five games, Dallas is averaging 2.20 goals and converting just 7.7 percent of its power plays. Entering Monday, those marks placed the Stars 27th in goals per game and 28th on the man advantage. Last season the team averaged 3.33 goals and scored on 28.6 percent of its power plays. The sample is small, but the gap is too significant to ignore while a skilled forward is unavailable for months.
Dallas has shown what a connected attack can accomplish. The Stars beat San Jose 5-0 on October 5 and Buffalo 4-0 on October 8. Against the Sabres, Rantanen had a goal and three assists, Johnston added three assists, and Robertson, Sam Steel and Hintz also scored. Hintz converted the team's first power-play goal of the season. Quick passes, smart movement and multiple scoring threats made the offense difficult to defend.
The next game exposed the inconsistency. Dallas lost 2-1 in a shootout at Pittsburgh, with Tyler Seguin's late deflection rescuing a point in regulation. The Stars went 0-for-3 with the man advantage and struggled to establish sustained pressure. Coach Glen Gulutzan wanted more from his team's skating and chance creation. One impressive night cannot solve the problem if the following game produces another scoring drought.
Goaltender Jake Oettinger has made the situation easier to survive. He posted consecutive shutouts against San Jose and Buffalo, then stretched his scoreless run to 188 minutes and 52 seconds before Pittsburgh finally scored. He earned the NHL's Second Star of the Week after allowing just one goal across three starts. Dallas cannot reasonably expect its goalie to keep opponents near zero every night while the offense searches for answers.
The immediate priorities are practical. Rantanen and Robertson need the puck in dangerous positions, Johnston and Hintz must create movement through the middle, and depth players such as Steel must support the stars. On the power play, cleaner entries, faster decisions and more traffic around the crease can create chances without Duchene's passing ability. Dallas hosts Colorado on Tuesday and visits the Avalanche on Wednesday. Those games will show whether the Stars can turn their remaining talent into consistent scoring.
The Stars cannot treat a projected January return as an offensive strategy. Duchene's surgery gives the medical staff a path forward, but Dallas must build a functioning attack without him. Its remaining stars need to produce more consistent five-on-five pressure and restore the power play, while the depth forwards take on larger roles.
There is enough talent in Dallas to withstand the absence, especially with Jake Oettinger playing so well. The next two games against Colorado will show whether the team is moving toward a solution. Duchene could eventually return to strengthen a contender, but first the Stars must prove they can remain one without him.
