After a run of three consecutive Western Conference finals appearances, the Stars finally ran into some bad luck in 2026.
“I felt good physically in the playoffs. Was obviously hoping for a longer run, we all were,” Duchene said. “This hockey team, from 2023 up until now, every series has been a conference-finals caliber series. That takes a toll on you [physically]. And then throw in two international tournaments for some of our guys, and I think that shoe finally dropped on us a little bit.”
Duchene mentioned that it wasn’t just Dallas dealing with injuries this year. Hockey is an unpredictable sport, and being close to full strength come playoff time is a necessity, even for squads with a playoff pedigree.
“You look at some of the stuff that’s happened around the league, Florida goes to three straight [Stanley Cup Finals] and doesn’t even make the playoffs this year. It’s crazy how it can work,” Duchene said.
“Everything has to fall into place, and you need to be healthy. I can’t remember the last team that won with a bunch of injuries. In the long run, [going out early] might be a really good thing for us, given the injuries we have.”
Stars fans certainly hope Duchene is right about that last part. After its recent run of success, the expectation for Dallas is that it contends for a Stanley Cup every year.
“This window that we have is a big one,” Duchene said. “And we’re right in the middle of it.”