November 13, 2015.
That was the first time we heard rumours connecting Matt Duchene to the Ottawa Senators.
It came out of nowhere. Prior to that report from Darren Dreger, there really had been no indication that the Colorado Avalanche were looking to move their talented young centre. And then seemingly overnight, he was available. And there were the Senators, right there at the front of the line.
At that point, it was the late Bryan Murray still calling the shots for Ottawa. And while it never seemed to go beyond the point of rumours, some people I have talked to suggested that the Senators came very close to making a deal for Duchene early in the 2015/2016 season. The trade never materialized back then but that didn’t stop the speculation.
For just under two years, the Senators pursued Matt Duchene. Other teams would join the fray, Columbus and Carolina among the most interested, and come close but Avalanche General Manager Joe Sakic waited. Buffalo, Calgary, Anaheim, Montreal, San Jose, Nashville. They all showed interest. But Burnaby Joe waited.
Until last night, when Pierre Dorion, with the help of David Poile, finally got it done.
Ottawa… can’t wait to get started with the @Senators today! I’m so excited to be back in my home province! 🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦
— Matt Duchene (@Matt9Duchene) November 6, 2017
While there is no doubt the Senators are paying to make this happen, it was a move that made sense.
Based on that article posted by Ian Mendes last night, it really seemed like the contract talks with Turris were going nowhere fast.
Turris and his camp had set a deadline for the negotiations and when the two sides couldn’t reach a deal, Dorion’s hand was forced a little bit. They probably still could have found some common ground but each day that passed was another day closer to Kyle Turris becoming a deadline rental. And because Ottawa fancies themselves a playoff team, they really couldn’t afford to unload Turris for picks and prospects.
What Pierre Dorion was able to accomplish under difficult circumstances is impressive.
Yes, he gives up a first round pick but he softens that loss by including lottery protection on the deal. Yes, he gave up a good young prospect but in the process, he hung on to players the organization covets in Chabot, White, Brown, Chlapik, Jaros, Harpur and basically all the top guys in the system. And yes, he threw in that 2019 3rd round pick but in exchange, he was able to finally move the contract of Andrew Hammond, which he has been trying to do for months.
In the end, it’s a deal that works out for everyone involved.
The Avalanche get an impressive haul of assets for a player stuck in the rumour mill for the last 24 months. The Predators get additional depth down the middle, a guy who is as clutch as they come and just a downright awesome human being in Kyle Turris. Turris and his agent get that long-term security that was clearly their priority on his next contract. Andrew Hammond potentially gets another chance at reviving his NHL career.
Matt Duchene finally gets his ticket out of Colorado and according to some speculation, lands right where he wanted to be all along.
As much as Sens coveted Duchene…sounds like the feeling was mutual. One source just told me “he wanted to play in Ottawa all along.”
— John Shannon (@JSportsnet) November 6, 2017
And the Senators get a little younger, upgrade at the centre position and after two long years, finally get their man.
