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Matt Duchene

Matt Duchene Rumors Continue to Swirl

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While there was plenty of action yesterday on the first day of free agency, one name that surfaced over and over again was that of the availability of Colorado Avalanche center Matt Duchene. The trade rumors refuse to die down, yet nothing has happened. According to The Columbus Dispatch’s Aaron Portzline, there are several teams trying to pry the 26-year-old former third-overall pick in the 2009 draft, including the Blue Jackets.

Quite obviously, Colorado general manager Joe Sakic is looking for a very young defender as key to any package to get Duchene. The scribe cites that the team has asked the Blue Jackets for 20-year-old blueliner Gabriel Carlsson as a primary piece of a potential deal. The former first-round pick in 2015 has shown quite a bit of promise, signing late this season and joining the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters for three games and then finished his 2016-17 season in Columbus for the final two games, picking up an assist on the way. Portzline says there has also been quite a bit of talk that the team is also interested in the Blue Jacket’s Ryan Murray, the former second-overall pick in 2012. The defenseman has played four seasons, finishing this year with two goals and nine assists in 60 games. No one knows whether Sakic is interested in one or both as part of the package for Duchene.

Portzline also tweets that the Boston Bruins are also discussing a trade with Colorado over Duchene and that deal would likely center around Bruins defender Brandon Carlo, who just wrapped up his rookie campaign with the Bruins. The 20-year-old former second round pick in 2015 finished the season with six goals, 10 assists and 59 penalty minutes.

Up till now, Sakic has refused to comment on any trade rumors only creating further speculation that a trade may be coming soon. We will see if there is any trade movement today as there is quite a bit of anticipation to see a move made.

Nashville Predators Trade Colin Wilson To Colorado Avalanche

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According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the Nashville Predators have traded Colin Wilson to the Colorado Avalanche for a fourth-round pick in 2019. No salary was retained in the deal, making this a clear cap-saving move for the Predators.

Wilson, 27, has been a consistent ~35 point player for the past several years and should see an increased role in Colorado. Drafted seventh-overall he never did turn into the dominant power forward they’d hoped for, but is a solid middle-six contributor. His contract, $3.9MM for the next two seasons, was the biggest reason for the move as Nashville needs room to sign their big group of restricted free agents.

Ryan Johansen and Viktor Arvidsson lead a big crop of players who need new contracts, and the team also added Nick Bonino and Scott Hartnell later in the day in free agency. Though Wilson remains a useful player, his cap space was needed elsewhere.

Columbus, Nashville Make Trade Offers For Matt Duchene

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As the trade market heats up before free agency begins tomorrow, Darren Dreger of TSN reports that both the Columbus Blue Jackets and Nashville Predators have made offers for Matt Duchene, but Avalanche GM Joe Sakic has still not been convinced. We’ve heard of the Predators’ interest before, but this is the first real concrete connection that the Blue Jackets have made a play for the young forward.

Duchene has been on the market since partway through the 2016-17 season, but Sakic has been firm with his asking price and apparently it hasn’t been met just yet. With such a thin free agent market especially in terms of impact scoring, Duchene could be the prize of the next few weeks. Even in a down year he still scored 18 goals and 41 points, and can be reasonably expected to bounce back to his earlier level of play. At 26 he’s still young enough to help pretty much anyone, but with just two years left on his current deal it’s more likely that a contender adds him as one of the last pieces to their puzzle.

It was reported this week that the Islanders had made a play for Duchene before dealing Travis Hamonic to the Calgary Flames, and it’s doubtful that the interest has waned at all since then. The package of picks that New York received could easily be flipped in a potential deal with Colorado. That said, both Nashville and Columbus have the young defensive depth to perhaps pull it off and could each use a bit of a scoring punch. Nashville would like to replace James Neal after he was snatched in the expansion draft, and Columbus continues to try and add to their top-six even after acquiring Artemi Panarin from the Chicago Blackhawks.

Whether Duchene ends up in one of those three cities is still far from assured. There is interest from many places around the league, and could end up coming down after a few free agent dominoes fall in the first few days. If Sakic is to get the prospect, first-round pick and young defender he was rumored to be asking for at the trade deadline, it will have to include multiple teams bidding against each other.

Snapshots: Gagner, Condon, Hamonic

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The Blackhawks are linked to Columbus UFA Sam Gagner, by way of a report from The Athletic’s Scott Powers. The parties have reached out to one another and expressed “mutual interest”. Gagner could be a good fit in Chicago, as he could jump-start an oddly sluggish powerplay, which finished 24th in the league last season. As always, an issue with signing in the Windy City is available cap dollars. Even after parting with Scott Darling, Artemi Panarin and Niklas Hjalmarsson, the team is $2.99 MM over the cap ceiling, Luckily the team doesn’t have any free agents that absolutely need to be re-signed, so they are free to prune a few forwards from the roster to get within acceptable range. Adding another mid-tier contract could complicate matters. The team has already been rumored to move on from center Marcus Kruger, who only makes $3.083 MM himself. Gagner will be looking for a figure around there after his career season, so his acquisition would mean more shuffling from GM Stan Bowman.

Judging by the fan reaction to the Panarin and Hjalmarsson moves, further shuffling might only serve to further shake confidence in the team’s direction. This isn’t even taking into account the Marian Hossa Long-Term Injured Reserve (LTIR) drama, which alone should make for an interesting summer. For what it’s worth, Sportsnet’s Mark Spector believes Gagner will not return to Edmonton, so that eliminates a potential landing spot. Still, there are few available centers with his skill-set and offensive output, so I wouldn’t be shocked to see Chicago out-bid on this particular player.

  • The Flyers are not comfortable with an Anthony Stolarz and Michael Neuvirth tandem heading into 2017-18, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Sam Carchidi. Carchidi goes through the entire UFA selection, including former Flyer Steve Mason, Brian Elliott, Jonathan Bernier, Ryan Miller, and even Keith Kinkaid. Bernier could be a fit, but with his inconsistency I don’t see it being a good one. Mason endured a good deal of fan blame this season, and while a short-term deal is not impossible, it’s a fair assumption he searches for a role in another town. If the Flyers wanted to run a tandem, Neuvirth with Condon could work quite well. The author doesn’t believe that Condon is much of an upgrade over Stolarz, but at 23 and with 2 career wins, Stolarz is simply not at the same level. It’s rare to see a goalie that young be able to take a 40 game (or more) NHL workload with total success. Considering the Flyers’ developing defense, it might be a wise decision on GM Ron Hextall’s part to shelter him in the AHL for another season. Stolarz is definitely their future, and they will look to find a one to two year agreement with whatever stopgap they decide on.
  • A fascinating piece from Newsday’s Arthur Staple details what can only be described as an odd non-deal. The Islanders apparently offered Travis Hamonic and a 1st round pick to Colorado for Matt Duchene, which was subsequently declined by GM Joe Sakic. Isles GM Garth Snow proceeded to move Hamonic for picks while acquiring Jordan Eberle in a separate transaction. Duchene remains in Denver, and apparently his agent Pat Brisson is not happy with the turn of events. Duchene has been linked to trade rumors since nearly the start of the season, which saw his Avalanche finish with an abysmal 48 point dead-last league finish. Sakic was rumored to have a heavy asking price, and this apparent rejection only solidifies those rumblings. Hamonic himself ended up fetching a 1st and two 2nds from Calgary, which is a sizable haul for the Isles. Islanders faithful can’t be too disappointed by the alternative route Snow traversed.

Duchene Tops List Of Likely Trade Candidates

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Count Colorado Avalanche’s Matt Duchene as the most likely player to be traded in the offseason. TSN released its Trade Bait list Saturday with Duchene, Montreal’s Alex Galchenyuk and Ottawa defenseman Dion Phaneuf leading the list of players who are likely to find themselves a new home for the 2017-18 season. A Duchene trade has been rumored since before the regular season ended and been talked about by most NHL teams so far. The Avalanche, who finished the regular season with the worst record in the league, feel this might be the best time to move the 26-year-old center after a disappointing season. He scored 18 goals and had 23 assists last year, a far cry from his 2015-16 season in which he tallied 30 goals and 29 assists in a breakout season. Much of the belief is that he lacks quality line mates around him and would thrive on a different team. While the Avalanche failed to move him before the draft, it is considered inevitable that a trade happens.

Galchenyuk is considered expendable after the Montreal Canadiens acquired Jonathan Drouin on June 15. Just like Duchene, Galchenyuk scored 17 goals in 61 games, a far cry from his 30-goal output in 2015-16. However, the Canadiens are looking to bolster their defense and feel the 23-year-old might be the best path to do that. The Minnesota Wild are often suggested as a good match for the Canadiens, but many teams wouldn’t mind getting the third-overall pick in 2013. Phaneuf, who refused to waive his no-movement clause before the expansion draft, therefore forcing the Senators to expose and lose Marc Methot (coincidentally #4 on the list), is still expected to be moved. The 32-year-old had a solid season and his trade value might be at its highest. However, the franchise will have to convince teams to accept the remaining four years on his contract at $7MM a season.

Of the 15 players on the list, the Vegas Golden Knights have three players (all defensemen) on the list, including Methot, Luca Sbisa (#8), and Alexei Emelin (#12). The Avalanche have two players on the list with Duchene at the top as well as defenseman Tyson Barrie (#7). The Minnesota Wild are the only other team with multiple players on the list with Marco Scandella (#5) and Mathew Dumba (#10), although it is believed that the Wild will likely just trade one of its young defenseman and keep the other. Scandella is the more likely of the two to get traded.

For a full list, you can find it here.

Trade Block Notes: Demers, Duchene, Methot

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After leaving him unprotected in the expansion draft, Jason Demers is apparently available in trade from the Florida Panthers. That from Pierre LeBrun of TSN, who notes it would have to be for the “right price.” Demers was given a five-year, $22.5MM deal last summer but, like Reilly Smith who was already moved out, it didn’t come from new-old GM Dale Tallon.

The newly turned 29-year old Demers put up 28 points this season, another solid showing offensively from a defenseman who has turned into one of the more consistent point producers around the league. While he’s never going to compete with the likes of Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson, Demers is a solid right-handed defenseman capable of 25-30 points every year, something that is in high demand around the league.

  • Darren Dreger of TSN reports that the Nashville Predators have shown interest in Matt Duchene, something that goes back to before the Seth Jones–Ryan Johansen deal according to Mike Chambers of the Denver Post. While Duchene would be a huge add for the Predators, they would be remiss to move any of their top-4 defensemen for him and past that it’s hard to see a fit between the two clubs. Perhaps Dante Fabbro, the Predators first-round pick from last summer could be involved, but it would take more than that to outbid the rest of the league on Duchene.
  • Marc Methot continues to be the root of speculation surrounding the Dallas Stars, but as Bob McKenzie of TSN points out he would rather stay in Vegas than alter his current no-trade clause to facilitate a trade from his new club. Methot was selected in the expansion draft, and is expected to be flipped right away for assets. It’s unclear whether the Stars are on his current NTC, which allows him to block deals to ten different clubs.

Entry Draft Notes: Avalanche, Stars, Flyers

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The Colorado Avalanche seem to be at least entertaining the possibility of moving down in the draft. According to Mike Chambers of the Denver Post, the team is split internally over whether to select the best player available or to draft a dynamic defenseman, which is their biggest organizational need at the moment. Finding the proper balance between these two philosophies is always difficult, and ultimately, the scouts are the ones who need to believe in a particular player. It is interesting to note that Chambers doesn’t see defender Cale Makar being taken that early in the draft, and that the Avalanche might be “stuck” selecting another forward. Makar actually got votes for the top pick from one of TSN’s analysts, and there are many who believe he will hop into the top-5. Bob McKenzie actually had him slotted in at that #4 spot, so it’s a bit difficult to determine what the Avalanche are thinking here.

If the organization did decide to trade to a lower pick, as director of amateur scouting Alan Hepple says is “a scenario…that they’re ready for”, it would likely include a piece that will provide more immediate help for the team. After a 48 point season, that could mean plugging a hole at practically any position. It’s a lot to consider, especially in light of the Matt Duchene trade rumors which haven’t stopped swirling since they began halfway through the season. This article will only keep more eyes peeled on the team from Denver headed into Friday’s draft.

  • The Flyers don’t seem to have the blinders on regarding their #2 selection, according to Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer.  They are spending most of their time and energy focusing on the later rounds. This makes sense for any team with a top selection, but especially for Philadelphia who will almost certainly draft whichever of Nolan Patrick and Nico Hischier remains. The team is heavily invested in looking to load up on offensive talent, and with 11 picks in this year’s draft, they’ve set themselves up very well. One of the major criticisms for the team in recent drafting has been the over-emphasis on physicality and intangibles, while ignoring more dynamic offensive players. We’ll see if they can avoid that pitfall this weekend.
  • The Stars look to be leaning away from the big Windsor forward Gabriel Vilardi, according to Sean Shapiro of NHL.com. He also speculates that Dallas is particularly high on the aforementioned Makar and HIFK’s shifty Miro Heiskanen. They look to be focusing on defense for another draft, and with their top-end offense it’s no wonder why. They just exposed Cody Eakin to Vegas because of their glut of center-men, and even though Vilardi is an exceptional, versatile forward – he’s not a need. Both Makar and Heiskanen were ranked in the top-5 final rankings by McKenzie, so it’s difficult to see Dallas moving from their #3 position.

Morning Notes: Sissons, Wild, Duchene

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During the end of last night’s 6-0 blowout in the Stanley Cup Finals, Colton Sissons was given a match penalty for crosschecking Olli Maatta in the face. As Chris Johnston of Sportsnet points out, that means Sissons is technically suspended until the league can further review the incident. This rule is different than a game misconduct, and is outlined below:

21.1 Match Penalty – A match penalty involves the suspension of a player for the balance of the game and the offender shall be ordered to the dressing room immediately. A match penalty shall be imposed on any player who deliberately attempts to injure or who deliberately injures an opponent in any manner.

In addition to the match penalty, the player shall be automatically suspended from further competition until the Commissioner has ruled on the issue.

Technically Sissons is currently suspended for game six of the series, though a ruling is probably going to come down before Sunday’s game. Sissons doesn’t seem to have any intent to injure on the play, as he’s not looking and doesn’t know Maatta’s face has dropped down to stick level. Interestingly enough, another dangerous play had much lower consequences.

  • After a report yesterday that the Boston Bruins were interested in Jonas Brodin from the Minnesota Wild, Michael Russo of the Star Tribune writes today that it’s “doubtful” that the Wild makes a deal before the expansion draft. In one of the more interesting quotes of the spring so far, the Wild’s Senior VP of Hockey Ops Brent Flahr told Russo “you’d just rather lose a player than make a bad trade.” That idea flies in the face of much of the speculation around the draft, that teams will be “forced” to make deals in order to avoid losing a player for nothing. The idea that anything is better than nothing may not be shared in front offices around the league, instead perhaps taking their chances in the draft or more willing to deal with Vegas directly than to send a player to a potential rival.
  • Darren Dreger of TSN took to Twitter to clarify his feelings on Matt Duchene’s trade market this summer, again indicating that he believes the Colorado forward will be traded. It inevitable that Duchene will be suiting up for another club next season, and it will be interesting to see if he can bounce back from a terrible season. Like when we discussed that Jarome Iginla may have some extra juice left at the trade deadline, Duchene was playing in a situation where almost every single player was underperforming and it just spiraled down as the season went on. If he can get back to the 30-goal mark he set in 2015-16, he could be the biggest acquisition of the summer.

Latest From Insider Trading: Duchene, Barrie, Oilers

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In the latest edition of Insider Trading from TSN (video link), Bob McKenzie reports that Avalanche forward Matt Duchene is the “player most likely” to be traded this summer.  Duchene has long been linked to the rumor mill throughout this past season but GM Joe Sakic’s asking price was too high to get an in-season deal done.

The 26 year old is coming off a down year with Colorado, recording 18 goals and 23 assists in 77 games, his lowest full-season output since 2011-12.  He has two years remaining on his current contract with a cap hit of $6MM before being eligible for unrestricted free agency.  The current free agent crop is lacking in impact top six forwards so despite a high price, there should be several teams interested in his services.

While McKenzie wouldn’t guarantee a deal gets done during the offseason, he classifies the situation as one where both the Avalanche and Duchene are hoping for a fresh start.

Other notes to pass along from the segment (although the full video is worth a watch):

  • The belief is that Sakic is still coveting a top blueliner in order to let Duchene go. Darren Dreger notes that part of the reason for that is to potentially allow Colorado to then move defenseman Tyson Barrie.  The 25 year old is a strong producer from the back end although his play in his own end has been a concern for them for a while now.  Barrie has three years left on his deal at a $5.5MM cap charge and Dreger believes it will take a top draft pick or a combination of picks and prospects to get a deal done.
  • While some expected that Edmonton’s Connor McDavid would see his extension for 2018-19 done before the team tries to deal with pending RFA Leon Draisaitl but Dreger reports that the Oilers would like to get both done at the same time. These two contracts will be the top priority in Edmonton this summer and considering the dollars it will take to get both done, they would undoubtedly like to get those contracts done sooner than later so they have a better sense of their salary cap situation before getting too deep into free agency or the trade market.
  • On that note, Dreger suggests that Oilers winger Jordan Eberle will “definitely get traded” this summer. Clearing his $6MM cap hit for two more years would ensure that Edmonton has plenty of money to get McDavid and Draisaitl’s new contracts done.  Earlier this week, GM Peter Chiarelli stated that he doesn’t think that they necessarily have to make a cap-clearing move this offseason but that they will have to at some point in the next couple of seasons.  Like Duchene, Eberle is a top six forward in a market that doesn’t have many of them available so the timing may be right for Chiarelli to do a deal now.

Florida Panthers’ Potential Targets

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The Florida Panthers were expected to do far better this past season than they ultimately did. Not unlike their Floridian rivals, the Tampa Bay Lightning, many were looking to this franchise to dominate a week Atlantic division. Looking back on a season with a coaching change, losing streaks, an lots of turmoil, how does the team recover and adjust their roster going forward?

Florida’s offensive core as of this moment consists of Aleksander Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau, and Vincent Trocheck, with Nick Bjugstad, Reilly Smith, and the surprising Jonathan Marchessault feeling content in their roles. Their defensive core is essentially just Aaron Ekblad, with a decent if unremarkable group surrounding him. Keith Yandle has looked adequate but nowhere near worth his $6.35 MM contract, locked in until 2023. Unfortunately, that contract looks like an albatross that is there to stay. Jason Demers was solid if unremarkable, and the group as a whole struggled with consistency. With Thomas Vanek likely to look for a payday elsewhere, a declining Jaromir Jagr, and a brutal internal cap, it bodes questioning whether Florida will be able to compete for a playoff spot next season. Their youngsters performed above offensive expectations, with the notable exception of Huberdeau. Barkov, Trocheck, and Marchessault all broke 50 points. Yet the team still finished 14 points out of the playoffs, giving up .46 more goals than they scored in an average 60 minute game.

Florida needs to spend a moderate amount of money to acquire solid 3rd-line point producers. Minor league callups can fill the gaps on the fourth line to an extent, but rolling with only two viable offensive forward groups is a recipe for disaster in today’s NHL. They absolutely need a game-changer up front to provide run support for the young core. They might also look to bolster their D. Here are some potential targets the Panthers should consider for 2017-18, instead of spending precious dollars on the fading Jagr:

F – Ilya Kovalchuk – UFA/KHL

As mentioned by colleague Holger Stolzenberg, Ilya Kovalchuk is a definite possibility for Florida. They have the cap space to accomodate the sort of money he will be looking for, and they have a talented young group that could easily compete for a playoff run given the right moves. There are few players more dynamic with the puck on their stick than Kovalchuk. His savvy and remarkably consistent point production would be tailor made for the Panthers team in need of a true #1 threat as Barkov continues to progress. Jagr is that no longer, but replacing his insight and experience would be difficult to do. Kovalchuk hits all the checks in terms of need for Florida, and would help launch them back into the playoff conversation single-handedly.

D – Dmitry Kulikov – UFA

Kulikov had an absolutely awful season for the Buffalo Sabres, but he would be a very cheap reclamation project for his old stomping ground. He didn’t exit the Panthers with a good performance, either, posting only 17 points in 2015-16 and a terrible 46.8 Corsi For Percentage. Kulikov had one year remaining with the Sabres at $4.3 MMl, and posted a 5 points and a -26 through 47 games. And yet, he was part of the group that propelled the team into the post-season and a Game 7 that could’ve gone either way. He’s a smooth skating 26 year-old defenseman who moves the puck with a decent offensive hockey IQ. He makes mistakes in his own zone, but he pushed the pace of the game in a way that is difficult to replace. His contract would be dirt-cheap and there is always the possibility he finds his groove back in the Sunshine State.

F – Matt Duchene – Colorado Avalanche

Matt Duchene is another talented player who had a truly down year. Duchene was rumored to be moved for months, but come deadline, GM Joe Sakic didn’t find the pieces he was looking for. In Florida, there is a definite fit if the Panthers are willing to take the risk. They have the defensive pieces the Avalanche would want in return, and Duchene would provide another dynamic offensive force to a struggling offense. Sakic is almost certain to pull the trigger eventually, so the Panthers GM will simply need to be persistent. Duchene can set up plays with the best of them when he is on his game. His speed and infectious energy would also fit in well with the group of youngsters down south.

F – Justin WIlliams – UFA

WIlliams is almost certain to be a top commodity in a weak UFA class. However, his wealth of playoff experience would come in quite handy for this team and hasn’t showed signs of slowing down. He would add an element of grit to the lineup, as well, rounding out their offense. He would be a wonderful mentor for the likes of Barkov, Trochec, and oothers. He can slot up and down the roster and is practically a lock to score at least 20 goals as a 35 year-old. If the Panthers find their way into the first round, a player of his mold would be certainly welcome in close contests. The main obstacle to this getting done is of course the price, which may prove too steep for a team in rebuild, low-cost mode. He also could want term at this stage of his playing career, and that could be a risky proposal if longer than 2 or 3 years.

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