Digging Dutchy: How Matt Duchene continues to shine with Stars

You can make the argument that Matt Duchene is the best value in the NHL.

After all, the veteran center is on a one-year contract that has an AAV of $3 million and is tied for second on the team in points with 66 in 64 games.

That fact alone makes Duchene a remarkable story for Dallas, and another reason this team has its sights set on the Stanley Cup. But if you want to add another layer to the positive vibes, consider this – the current form of Duchene might be the best in his 1,120 game career.

That’s right, the 34-year-old has come to a place where he is using his incredible skill (drafted third overall in 2009) mixed with the experience of 16 seasons in NHL and wrapped it all into a bow with a self-awareness that has his brain in a very good place.

So, yeah, things are pretty good right now.

“Dutchy has had a great year for us,” Stars coach Pete DeBoer said. “With the adversity that we’ve had with injuries, if he doesn’t play the way he’s played all year, we wouldn’t be in the spot we are in the standings. He’s given us big time minutes and big time production all year.”

Duchene’s points per 60 minutes is at 3.6. That’s tied for the best in his career (2018-19 in Ottawa) and a skosh better than the 3.5 he had in Nashville in 2021-22. Just as impressive is the fact the Stars have had injuries to several key players, and Duchene has been the most consistent scorer on the team. He was on a roll with linemates Tyler Seguin and Mason Marchment for the first 23 games, but then Seguin had surgery and was taken out of the lineup. Marchment then missed 17 games with a facial injury, and Duchene just kept humming along.

He has played with an assortment of wingers and found a way to help Dallas to the third best record in the NHL.

“He’s a pro,” DeBoer said. “He shows up every game.”

Duchene has definitely found a home in Dallas. This is his fifth NHL team, and he came here after one of the hardest moments of his life. He signed a seven-year deal that averaged $8 million a year with Nashville in 2019. He had a great season (43 goals and 43 assists for 86 points) in 2021-22, and then a not-as-great season (22 goals, 34 assists for 56 points) in 2022-23. With the Predators looking to make some sweeping changes, they bought out Duchene and allowed him to become an unrestricted free agent.

It was a tough moment, but the fact Nashville was paying him almost $20 million to not play there, it allowed Duchene to find a good fit on a team that was ready to win. He signed a one-year deal with Dallas at $3 million in July 2023 and proceeded to pump out 65 points (25 goals, 40 assists) in 80 games. He helped the Stars to the Western Conference Final and learned a few things about himself in the process.

That was important for a lot of reasons. One, Duchene hadn’t had much postseason success in his career, winning just one round in six total trips before that. Two, it fed his hunger even more.

Duchene has always had an analytical mind, and he took some time over the summer to look back at his postseason. He had 6 points (2 goals, 4 assists) in 19 games with the Stars and felt there was more to unlock. He worked on finding the calm places in his mind, and that’s helped him this year.

While he clearly understands how important he can be to this team, he said he also knows that the key to success is being the right piece in the machine.

“I’m playing on a good team,” Duchene said after registering two assists in a 4-1 win over Vancouver on Sunday. “I’m comfortable, I’m playing my game, I’m just trying to be a part of this thing.”

Because “this thing” could be pretty special. The Stars are seen as one of the favorites to contend for the Stanley Cup, and a couple of trades this season have direct ties to Duchene. The skilled center played with Mikael Granlund in Nashville for three years, so getting Granlund from San Jose on February 1 was a nice fit.

“It for sure helps,” Granlund said. “We both know each other and how we play. We played on the same line for a lot of games [in Nashville], so we know each other’s tendencies. It’s been fun so far.”

And then last Friday, Dallas pulled the trigger on maybe the biggest trade in the NHL this season, acquiring Mikko Rantanen from Carolina. Duchene and Rantanen played with each other for parts of three seasons with the Avalanche from 2015-2017.

“I don’t think we expected that, but it’s a nice surprise for us. Great player, great guy, his resume speaks for itself,” Duchene said. “It’s exciting. You look at our group, especially when we get Seggy and Miro [Heiskanen] back, we are set up to do something.”

Both Seguin and Heiskanen are on long-term IR, but both are expected back for the playoffs. Again, you can definitely find some kismet there. The injuries opened up cap space to make the trades for Granlund and Rantanen – and it just so happened that Duchene has some chemistry with both.

It’s almost like Duchene’s winding road has led him to this point in his life.

The challenge is real, of course. After all, the Stars got close in each of the last two seasons and still fell short. That said, the opportunity is real, as well, in large part because Duchene has been such a bargain.

“Obviously, it’s the most talented, best team I’ve ever played on,” he said. “It’s nice to play with really good players in a really good system. We’re very well coached and that makes it easier for a guy like me.”

Guys who have worked very hard to get to this point.

“Guys like me and Jamie [Benn] haven’t won yet, and when you get a piece like this, that’s exciting,” Duchene said after the Rantanen trade. “You have to go do it, but it definitely gives you a chance when you bring in a player like that.”

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.

Mike Heika is a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on X @MikeHeika.