The Nashville Predators announced that forward Matt Duchene is sidelined for 3-5 weeks with a lower-body injury.
#Preds forward Matt Duchene has been placed on injured reserve and will miss 3-5 weeks with a lower-body injury.
Preds recall Mathieu Olivier and Alexandre Carrier from the taxi squad. Michael McCarron reassigned to the taxi squad, Tanner Jeannot reassigned to Chicago (AHL).
— Nashville Preds PR (@PredsPR) March 6, 2021
Matt Duchene Injured
Duchene left the previous game against the Florida Panthers early after suffering a lower-body injury. So far this season, Duchene has scored three goals and five assists for eight points to go along with four minutes in penalties. His possession numbers were 56.7 percent Corsi and a relative Corsi of 4.5.
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Over his 13-year NHL career, Duchene has played for the Colorado Avalanche, Ottawa Senators Columbus Blue Jackets, and Nashville Predators. He has 248 goals and 349 assists for 597 career points in 816 career games. However, he was originally drafted by the Colorado Avalanche in the first round, third overall in the 2009 NHL entry draft.
What This Means for the Predators
Duchene went scoreless in the last eight contests. Despite this, advanced statistics have shown that he is the team’s top forward. Without the former Avalanche on their roster, the Predators’ woes will continue to grow. Additionally, their schedule in the coming weeks is rife with hardships. The Predators will need all the help they can get going forward, as they have struggled so far this season.
Mathieu Olivier and Alexandre Carrier have been recalled from the taxi squad to supplement the offence. As of right now, it’s sink or swim for Nashville. The coming weeks will show how the Predators handle hardship. Their result without Duchene will mean the difference between a doomed season and one worth salvaging. Head coach John Hynes will need to pull out all the stops he can to ensure success.
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