Flames’ Dillon Dube taking indefinite leave of absence

Calgary Flames forward Dillon Dube has been granted an “indefinite leave of absence” to focus on his mental health, the team announced on Sunday.

“Dillon is under the care of health professionals, and we request that Dillon’s privacy is respected during this period,” the team said in a statement on social media.

Dube was a late scratch for the Flames’ Saturday game against the Edmonton Oilers. In 43 games this season, Dube has three goals and four assists for seven points, a massive drop in production from last year where he scored 18 goals and 27 assists for 45 points, all of which were career highs.

In six NHL seasons, Dube has 57 goals and 70 assists for 127 points in 325 career games. The 25-year-old is in the final year of a three-year, $6.9 million contract and will be a restricted free agent this summer.

Taken in the second round of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, Dube averaged over a point-per-game in four seasons in the Western Hockey League with the Kelowna Rockets.

Turning professional, he spent half a season with the AHL’s Stockton Heat, scoring 39 points (15 goals and 24 assists) in 37 games in 2018-19. Since then, he’s spent nearly all of his professional career with the NHL’s Flames.

Internationally, Dube played in two World Junior Championships representing Team Canada, winning a gold medal in 2018.

The Flames are 21-20-5 with 47 points this season, sixth in the Western Conference’s Pacific Division. They’re 6-4-0 in their last 10 games but have lost two straights. Calgary will have a three-game home stand starting Tuesday against the St. Louis Blues, followed by the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday and the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday.