Matt Duchene had surgery to repair a core injury and is expected to be out three months, the Dallas Stars announced Monday.
The 35-year-old was dealing with a lower-body injury throughout training camp and was placed on long-term injured reserve Oct. 1.
"He had some issues (during training camp), and then we thought (if) we took some time (he) could work through them," Stars coach Glen Gulutzan said Monday. "And then (he) couldn't. And so then we got another look at it, a couple other people to look at it. And a collection of those minds decided, 'Let's take care of it rather than trying to just work through it.'
"I'm not a doctor, and I don't want to get too far into it, but for me, in the analysis, I've gotten, and I was involved in all the steps, it was more of a chronic thing that they didn't want to kick down the road anymore."
Duchene had 45 points (16 goals, 29 assists) in 57 regular-season games and nine points (two goals, seven assists) in six Stanley Cup Playoff games last season.
Dallas (2-2-1) hosts the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday (8:30 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN+, TVAS). In Duchene's absence the Stars are averaging 2.20 goals per game, 27th in the NHL entering play Monday, and their power play is 28th (7.7 percent).
Last season Dallas was ninth in goals per game (3.33) and second on the power play (28.6 percent).
"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."
Selected by the Colorado Avalanche with the No. 3 pick in the 2009 NHL Draft, Duchene has 936 points (387 goals, 549 assists) in 1,195 regular-season games with the Avalanche, Ottawa Senators, Columbus Blue Jackets, Nashville Predators and Stars, and 46 points (15 goals, 31 assists) in 75 playoff games.
NHL.com independent correspondent Robert Tiffin contributed to this report.
