Predators lose Duchene for 3-5 weeks due to injury
The hits keep coming for the Nashville Predators.
Nashville placed Matt Duchene on injured reserve Saturday. He'll miss three-to-five weeks with a lower-body injury.
The forward left Thursday's loss to the Florida Panthers and didn't return after taking only one shift in the third period.
Duchene has produced only three goals and five assists across 23 games in 2021. The 30-year-old is in his second campaign with the Predators after signing a seven-year, $56-million deal with Nashville as a free agent in July 2019.
On Tuesday, the Predators said defenseman Ryan Ellis will miss four-to-six weeks and forward Luke Kunin will be out two-to-four weeks with their respective injuries. Additionally, forward Ryan Johansen landed on the COVID-19 protocol list.
Nashville is 10-13-0 this season. The club entered Saturday's action occupying third-last place in the Central Division with the second-worst points percentage in the group. The Predators also ranked 24th in the NHL in goal differential, 28th in goals for per game, and seventh-worst in goals against per contest entering Saturday.