Colorado Avalanche: Matt Duchene Trade Seems Imminent
The Colorado Avalanche have supposedly been shopping star Matt Duchene for a while now but a trade never happened. Now, the Avs have some new players in the system, so, is a Duchene trade more likely?
Almost every NHL team has been linked to Matt Duchene in a possible trade with the Colorado Avalanche. The Avs have been long rumored to be moving the center, but have yet to do so. Recently, the Avalanche have signed several new forwards.
Does that mean that the Avs will be signing off on a Duchene deal soon? Or are they at least preparing to do so?
Colorado Avalanche’s Matt Duchene Sweepstakes
The Avalanche have been shopping Duchene for what feels like forever. Teams like the New York Islanders, Columbus Blue Jackets and Boston Bruins have been linked to the center in trade rumors throughout the season. Even the Toronto Maple Leafs have been thrown around as a possible destination.
Despite how close ‘reports’ would say the Avalanche were close to signing away the forward, Duchene is less than a month away from preseason and still a member of the team. While the season is close and might seem certain, Colorado is insinuating he is still on the trade block.
The Avalanche have recently signed two prized college free agents – Alex Kerfoot and Dominic Toninato. Both are young centers who add to the seven current centers, including Duchene, on Colorado’s roster.
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More Centers = Duchene Trade?
Will more centers mean that the Avalanche will officially trade Duchene? Possibly. The Avalanche have been discussing the possibility of this trade for quite some time. Even Duchene has voiced his uncertainty on the subject. Their new abundance of centers might serve as a comfort for the team for once they officially pull the trigger.
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Colorado hasn’t been hitting the mark lately and believe that a renewed roster could prove beneficial for the team. While the team wouldn’t be willing to trade a player with the skill set that Duchene has, it could provide them with another player that could contribute to their team’s balance and success. In short, the Avalanche need a shake up and since he has a lot of trade value, he makes sense to move.
The Duchene trade rumors are starting up again. Now might be the perfect time to execute the trade. Colorado will have a steady supply of consistent centers behind Carl Soderberg and Nathan MacKinnon. Therefore, they could find some suitable centers to fill the hole Duchene would leave behind.
If Colorado does officially trade him, they’ll get back another high caliber player who might make a different in their team. Colorado has been in a rut and a move like this could turn things around for the team.
Is A Trade More Likely?
Most likely, yes. The Avalanche would want to prepare for a move as big as the Duchene trade would be, especially in regards to what they’d be looking for in return. Signing more young skilled centers could increase the team’s depth, especially after losing a player like him.
It seems as though Duchene won’t be an Avalanche for too much longer. The big question might be, who will win the Duchene sweepstakes?