NHL Buzz: Duchene out for Stars against Bruins

Welcome to the NHL Buzz. Each day during the regular season, NHL.com has you covered with all the latest news.

Dallas Stars

Matt Duchene did not play when the Stars lost 3-2 to the Boston Bruins at American Airlines Center in Dallas on Monday.

The forward is day to day with an undisclosed injury.

Duchene was hit by Vancouver Canucks defenseman Ian Cole late in the second period of the Stars’ 2-0 loss Saturday and did not return to the game.

“He got hit in that game, obviously pretty hard, left the game,” Dallas coach Peter DeBoer said. “The prognosis after the game was that he was pretty good but that it was going to be day to day and we’re day to day. I don’t think he’s going to be ready for today, but I don’t think it’s long term.”

Duchene, who signed a one-year, $3 million contract July 1, has five points (two goals, three assists) in 10 games this season. -- Taylor Baird

Toronto Maple Leafs

Nicholas Robertson made his season debut in the Maple Leafs' 6-5 overtime win against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Monday.

The 22-year-old forward, who was selected in the second round (No. 53) by the Maple Leafs in the 2019 NHL Draft, was recalled from Toronto of the American Hockey League on Monday.

“I played down there like 20 minutes, on power play and in key situations, so with that you get a lot of touches and a lot of confidence and you produce so I’m happy with that,” Robertson said.

One of the final cuts out of training camp, Robertson has 11 points (five goals, six assists) in nine AHL games this season. He hadn't played in the NHL since Dec. 8, 2022, when he sustained a season-ending shoulder injury.

He played left wing on a line with center Max Domi and right wing Calle Jarnkrok.

“We’ve been talking a lot about the fact we haven’t got enough offense coming out of our bottom six in particular,” coach Sheldon Keefe said. “When Nick has come up in the past, he’s spent most of his time playing with John Tavares and William Nylander but now we’re changing the mix in our third group with Domi going in the middle. It’s a chance to try to get a little more offense, not just about goals but time on offense, playing in the offensive zone, winning shifts, sustaining shifts, having energy and pace and Nick has the ability to do those things.”

Jake McCabe missed his fifth straight game because of a groin injury sustained 10 seconds into a 4-1 win against the Dallas Stars on Oct. 26.

The defenseman skated on a pairing with John Klingberg on Sunday in his first full practice since sustaining the injury and participated in Toronto’s optional morning skate Monday.

Defenseman Simon Benoit made his Maple Leafs debut, replacing Max Lajoie, who played 4:54 and was minus-1 in his Toronto debut, a 6-4 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday.

The Maple Leafs remain without defensemen Timothy Liljegren and Conor Timmins, who are each on long-term injured reserve. -- Dave McCarthy

Ottawa Senators

Artem Zub could return from a concussion against the Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday (7 p.m. ET; TVAS, SN).

The defenseman practiced with a regular jersey Monday for the first time since taking a puck to the head in a 6-1 win against the Washington Capitals on Oct. 18. Ottawa is 1-5-0 in the six games he’s missed.

"It's tough to predict,” Zub said of potentially playing Wednesday. “I hope I just feel good, myself. It's going a bit better. But I hope it will be going better and better every day and then I'll be ready to play the next game. I hope so."

Zub was paired with Jake Sanderson and was a full participant in practice Monday.

"Him and [Sanderson] looked really good out there,” coach D.J. Smith said. “Obviously, we'll wait to see after if everything's good, but he looked really good to me out there and it looks like he's ready to go."

The Senators’ defense has been ravaged by injuries. Thomas Chabot will miss the next month with a broken hand, and Erik Brannstrom is still practicing with a no-contact jersey after sustaining a concussion Oct. 26. -- Callum Fraser