Older and wiser: Benn, Duchene finding success following early season struggles

It has been a challenging season for both Jamie Benn and Matt Duchene.

But they should be able to handle it because they’re old.

That’s a bit of a playful poke at the two “30-somethings,” but it also has some truth to it. Benn, 36, has missed virtually no time due to injuries in his 17-year career, so the fact that he was sidelined for the first 19 games of the season with a collapsed lung is a different twist, for sure. Duchene, 35, has dealt with injuries throughout his 17 seasons, but none as intense as the concussion that kept him out of the lineup for roughly seven weeks at the start of the year.

So perspective is important, and these two certainly have perspective.

Benn has carried the weight of an organization that has had its fair share of concerns, including six coaches over the past 10 seasons. Duchene, meanwhile, has been on a roller coaster that includes five different teams in his career and a couple of one-year contracts in recent years.

“They’ve been through it, so they have a certain calm,” Stars coach Glen Gulutzan said. “I definitely think we feed off of that.”

Both players admit they were frustrated earlier, so trusting their own calm wasn’t easy. But the fact they have come through during a six-game winning streak heading into the Olympic Break is huge in terms of confidence. Duchene has 9 points (6 goals, 3 assists) in a six-game point streak, while Benn has 8 points (2 goals, 6 assists) in a four-game run.

“I can only speak for myself, but I wasn’t playing very good hockey there for a little bit,” Benn said. “We’re just trying to do our part. I think we both had more to give for this group.”

That responsibility is part of the “old” thing. They are more mature, they understand their impact on younger players, and they know that there are only so many chances to win. That said, they also know that finding that form is a bit tougher as the mileage adds up.

Benn has seen his production slide from 78 points to 60 to 49 in the past three seasons. He’s at 22 points (9 goals, 13 assists) in 35 games this season, so the challenge is real. Part of the aging process is he doesn’t get the minutes he used to or the power play time, and that’s part of the adjustment. But in Wednesday’s 5-4 win over St. Louis, he showed he can come up big at the right time.

On his first goal, Benn and Duchene were out on the second power play unit after a penalty on the Blues had expired. Duchene found Benn in the slot, and Benn calmly settled a puck down and snapped it in under the bar. Then, with the game on the line, Miro Heiskanen lugged the puck up the left wing and found the left-handed Benn bearing down on the right side, and the two connected in a beautiful hockey play.

Benn’s one-timer beat Jordan Binnington and won the game in the final minute.

“I’ve been telling him nonstop how well he’s playing,” Duchene said. “He’s got some swagger in his game right now. He’s a heck of a player. He’s shown it throughout his career and he’s still got a lot of game left in him. He’s been awesome to play with.”

Duchene has had more recent scoring success than Benn, but he has had his challenges, as well. After getting bought out by Nashville in 2023, he signed a one-year deal with the Stars and produced 65 points in 80 games. Last season, he signed another one-year deal and had 82 points in 82 games. That led to a four-year contract extension, and cemented Duchene as a big part of a team that is focused on winning a Stanley Cup right now.

However, Duchene took a big hit in the third game of the season and had trouble bouncing back from that. He called it one of the toughest injuries of his career, and he had just 2 goals and 5 assists over 17 games before his recent hot streak. There was frustration, but he worked through it and he and Benn landed on a line with Sam Steel to spark some energy.

“Once Dutchy and Benny got their games going through their injuries, it helps our team,” Gulutzan said of the six-game win streak. “And don’t forget Steely in there, because he’s helping too.”

That line could be the perfect complement to the top two lines (Jason Robertson-Roope Hintz-Mavrik Bourque and Justin Hryckowian-Wyatt Johnston-Mikko Rantanen) and could give Dallas the scoring depth it needs for a long playoff run. But finding consistency is a constant problem at any age.

Ironically, the two “old” guys would love to keep playing right now and ride the hot hand, but they also know that rest can be a good thing. So as they head to the Olympic Break to spend time with family, they are mature enough to handle their time well.

“I’m just over a quarter of the season, so I kind of hate the timing of this as an individual,” said Duchene, who is taking his family home to Ontario for some winter fun. “But I think that hunger will continue to fester over the break. It will be nice to skate on the lake with my little guy and enjoy playing outside. Hopefully, that will do the trick for right now.”

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.