Stutzle took no faceoffs at all in Friday's loss to the New York Islanders.
The Ottawa Senators had an optional skate on Monday ahead of their game against the Florida Panthers and afterward, head coach D.J. Smith fielded more questions about star centre Tim Stutzle.
Stutzle has missed multiple practices this season and Smith has labelled these absences as scheduled maintenance days.
Stutzle has played with KT tape on the back of his neck for the majority of the season and on Friday night he went off the ice gingerly and straight into the locker room at the end of the second period.
He also didn't take a single face-off in the Islander game but, when asked about it, Smith made it sound like it was business as usual.
“If Timmy is not feeling it or not going good, then he won’t take as many draws," Smith explained. “Giroux’s capable of taking left draws or right draws. He could even take less (faceoffs) tonight playing with Brady (Tkachuk).
"It depends on the situation and how Tim is doing in the circle that night. The guys will talk. Is it an O-zone draw? Is it a D-zone draw? Will they have to switch? There's all. those scenarios...and they do switch as the game goes on."
As most are aware, it's not uncommon for Stutzle to make way for others at the faceoff dot. This season, through 15 games, he's only averaged about seven faceoffs per game. But zero faceoffs is a first. And according to HockeyReference.com, Stutzle took only one draw against Minnesota.
It could be nothing. Or it could be the latest hint that something may be off with the young German star, despite his excellent start to the young NHL season.