Name: Matt Duchene

Number: 95

Age: 33

Birthplace: Haliburton, Ontario

Height/Weight: 6-1, 210

2023-24 stats: 25 goals, 40 assists for 65 points in 80 games

Contract: On one-year contract for $3.0 million

Performance evaluation: It was a whirlwind season for Matt Duchene, but he made the most of it. After having the final three years of his contract (at an average cap hit of $8 million) bought out by the Nashville Predators, Duchene became an unrestricted free agent. That was tough, as he and his family loved Nashville, but he found a really nice fit in Dallas. That showed in his play and in his fit into the team. Duchene signed a one-year deal with the Stars for $3.0 million, so he had to prove himself, but he was able to do that by bonding with linemates Tyler Seguin and Mason Marchment, giving the Stars the scoring depth they were seeking last season. Duchene finished with 25 goals and 40 assists, despite having his time on ice per game trimmed by more than a minute from his time in Nashville. The 33-year-old passed 1,000 games played during the regular season and then made his deepest run in the playoffs, playing 19 games and getting to the Conference Finals. The bad news on that front was the fact his scoring dried up in the postseason and he finished with just 6 points (2 goals, 4 assists).

Expectations for 2024-25: The great thing about Duchene’s buyout is that it gives him a large pile of cash for the future. Nashville will pay Duchene $19.3 million over a span of six years, which means he is able to make very team-friendly deals with the Stars, like signing another one-year contract for $3 million. Had Duchene needed more, Dallas probably would have had to pass, so it’s clear that both sides are happy. The other interesting part of getting him back for a second season is the fact we have seen other players really take off in their second year. Joe Pavelski went from 0.46 points per game in his first season with the Stars to 0.91. Marchment went from 0.46 to 0.65. Plus, the eye test showed they were much more comfortable after one year here. Duchene was at 0.81 in points per game last year, so there’s not a lot of room for improvement, but if he can get close to the point-a-game he was at in Nashville in 2021-22, then the Stars as a team are going to be very difficult to defend. There might not be a player on the team who does more mental self-examination than Duchene, so you can imagine he’s spending a lot of the summer reviewing his playoff performances. The thrill he felt from beating Colorado in overtime might have been the biggest moment of his career, and you know that he wants more of that. The guess is he will be a very motivated player next season.

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 (formerly Twitter) @MikeHeika.