Stars activate Matt Duchene, Nils Lundkvist off IR; expected to play against Penguins
A couple of pieces are set to return to the Dallas Stars‘ lineup.
On Sunday, the team announced that forward Matt Duchene has been activated off long-term injured reserve, while defenseman Nils Lundkvist has been removed from injured reserve as well. The duo is expected to return to the lineup when the team faces off with the Pittsburgh Penguins in the evening.
We have activated Matt Duchene and Nils Lundkvist from the Long-Term Injured Reserve (LTIR) 🚨
Both players have been out of action since mid-October. Duchene suffered an upper-body injury on Oct. 14 against the Minnesota Wild. He came back to play against the St. Louis Blues a few days later, but has been on the shelf ever since. The Haliburton, Ont. native was later placed on LTIR, despite having been skating and traveling with the team.
In four games prior to the injury, the 34-year-old scored just a goal and an assist. He has a plus/minus of zero while averaging 14:27 of ice time. This is the first season of a four-year contract extension Duchene signed this past June. The deal carries an AAV of $4.5 million through the 2028-29 season.
The Stars seemed to do just fine with the longtime center out for the past 24 games. The team went 16-3-5 over that span and is doing its best to challenge for the top spot in the Central Division.
Lundkvist was placed on IR with a lower-body injury a few days after his last appearance on Oct. 16 against the Vancouver Canucks. Like Duchene, Lundkvist has appeared in just four games, potting a goal and two assists for three points. He also has an even rating while playing 16 minutes per game. He scored a goal on Oct. 9 against the Winnipeg Jets, his first goal since Jan. 21, 2024.
Dallas (19-5-5) is second in the Central, five points behind the Colorado Avalanche for first. Puck drop between the Stars and Penguins is set for 6 p.m. ET.