Dallas Stars forward Matt Duchene underwent surgery to repair a core injury and will be unavailable for three months, the team announced Monday. Duchene dealt with a lower-body injury at training camp and hasn't seen any action this season. Dallas placed him on long-term Injured Reserve on Oct. 1. Unfortunately, we won't see Duchene back on the ice before 2027. This injury has ruined Duchene's hopes of reaching his 1,000th career point this season. He has produced consistently throughout his career, with 387 goals and 549 assists in 1,195 games. Duchene's long-term absence elevates the fantasy value of Sam Steel and Justin Hryckowian.

Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares (personal) practiced on Monday and is on track to return for Tuesday's matchup with the Utah Mammoth. Tavares didn't play in Saturday's win over Colorado after the birth of his son. Nicholas Paul moved to the second line and contributed two assists in an impressive 6-3 road triumph. Tavares' return will bump Paul to the third line, but he should still see plenty of ice time. After five appearances, Tavares sits on one goal and two assists.

Chicago Blackhawks forward Connor Bedard (knee) is likely to make his season debut in Tuesday's matchup with Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins, ESPN's Emily Kaplan reports. The Blackhawks captain fully participated in Sunday's practice, and on Monday, head coach Jeff Blashill said Bedard is "trending toward" playing against Pittsburgh. This is huge news because Bedard wasn't initially expected to play this month after offseason shoulder surgery. Bedard is set to skate alongside Patrick Kane and Roman Kanstserov on Chicago's top line in Tuesday's game. He has recorded four points (one goal, three assists) in five career games against Crosby's crew.

Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson (lower body) will miss a fifth consecutive game on Monday night against the New Jersey Devils. The 2026 Olympic champion took part in the morning skate, but he isn't ready to return from a lower-body injury. Artem Zub (knee) will also remain out, increasing the fantasy value of Thomas Chabot, Jordan Spence, and Carter Yakemchuk. Chabot has averaged a whopping 27:07 of ice time, recording three points, 15 SOG, and 16 blocks in five games. Yakemchuk has also made a strong impression offensively, landing on the score sheet twice in the last three games.