The Colorado Avalanche have parted ways with dynamic scoring center Matt Duchene. The major deal sees Duchene head to the Ottawa Senators, while Kyle Turris heads to the Nashville Predators in a three-team trade. Darren Dreger and Elliotte Freidman were first on reporting the details of the trade.
TRADE (3-way):
To #Sens
M DucheneTo #Preds
K TurrisTo #Avs
S Girard
V Kamenev
A Hammond
S Bowers
OTT 2018 1st & 3rd RD
NAS 2018 2nd RD— CapFriendly (@CapFriendly) November 6, 2017
https://twitter.com/friedgehnic/status/927356031985790976
Matt Duchene Traded to the Ottawa Senators, Kyle Turris to Nashville Predators
There had been rumours for months that Avalanche GM Joe Sakic was looking to make drastic changes to his team’s core. Not long removed from the departure of Ryan O’Reilly and Tyson Barrie’s contentious contract negotiation, Sakic has made perhaps his boldest move yet in trading Duchene.
Duchene is in the fourth year of a five-year contract that comes with a cap hit of $6 million per season.
The 26-year old native of Haliburton, Ontario has led the Avalanche in scoring in three of his nine seasons with the team, hitting a career-high of 70 in 2013-2014. He’s a former 30 goal scorer, having reached the mark in 2015-16.
A year ago, Duchene’s situation with the Avalanche hit rock bottom after one of the worst seasons in recent history from Colorado. Duchene finished second on the team in scoring with 18 goals and 41 points in 77 games, battling trade rumours all season.
To start the new year, Duchene has been back to his scoring ways, with four goals and 10 points in 13 games. There’s no doubt that Duchene will slot into a top-six offensive role with his new club. He’s a speedy and creative center who has the ability to make the players around him elevate their own game. The Senators will be counting on Duchene to put up points and stabilize their top-six, likely taking over for the departed Kyle Turris.
Turris to Nashville
Kyle Turris’ name has recently been in rumours as a pending unrestricted free agent, unlikely to re-sign in Ottawa. He heads to the Nashville Predators, slotting into their second line centre position.
Turris has three goals and nine points in 11 games this year. He has scored 136 goals and 184 assists for 320 career NHL points in 544 games. Turris has added 27 points in 46 career playoff games.
Turris was set to be a free agent this summer, but has signed a long-term contract extension with the Predators as part of the deal.
https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/927327361271398401
Avalanche Return
The Avalanche accelerate their rebuild, getting a haul of young assets in the deal. They acquire a first and third-round pick from the Senators, along with a second-round pick from the Predators. The Predators pick is a 2018 pick. The Senators first rounder is a top-10 protected 2018 pick. The third rounder is a 2019 pick.
The Avalanche also get Shane Bowers, the 28th pick of the 2017 NHL Draft. He has two goals and six points in 10 games at Boston University in his freshman season. For more information on the Bowers, check out our draft report here.
Hammond, 29, has played seven games for the Belleville Senators and has a .925 save percentage. He has struggled in the NHL, after his miraculous run in 2015; and cleared waivers earlier this year. Hammond is in the last year of a three-year deal. He is paid $1.5 million this season, with a cap hit of $1.35 million.
The Predators give the Avalanche Samuel Girard and Vladislav Kamenev. Girard was a second-round pick, 47th overall, by the Predators in the 2016 draft. He made the team out of camp and has a goal and three points in five games this season. Kamenev was the team’s second-round pick, 42nd overall, in the 2014 draft. He is playing in the AHL this year, where he has three goals and eight points in nine games for the Milwaukee Admirals. Both players were featured in LWOS Top Shelf Prospects scouting reports this summer. You can read them here.
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