Matt Duchene has finally come home to the Nashville Predators

The Nashville Predators and Matt Duchene, both seeking each other, have finally united.

On the first day of NHL free agency, the Nashville Predators signed Matt Duchene to an eight-year deal. This was a move years in the making. For many moons, Predators general manager David Poile pursued Duchene. In many ways, he was his Moby Dick – a white whale he could never quite catch.

By signing Duchene, Poile put an end to the seemingly endless pursuit. And by heading to Nashville, Duchene is finally where he belonged all along. He’s the perfect Nashville athlete. Duchene loves country music and pickup trucks. It won’t be long at all before he’s singing in bars.

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And by signing in Nashville, Duchene has finally found something he’s been waiting for his entire career to find – a home. He thought he had one in Colorado, but the Avalanche and Duchene had a mutual parting of ways, courtesy of a three-way trade.

Duchene wanted to love the Ottawa Senators, but they didn’t quite love him back equally. He wanted bigger things. Duchene was a proper citizen of Columbus during his brief time with the Blue Jackets, but they didn’t fit in with his future plans. He wanted somewhere he could win.

That could be Nashville. Duchene is the second-line center the Predators have long needed. Kyle Turris, who was included in that three-team trade mentioned earlier, simply hasn’t been the answer. Ironically, Duchene’s arrival could mean the departure of Turris, who is now a third-line center making $6 million a year for the next five years.

During the 2017-18 season, Nashville finished 15th in NHL in five-on-five goals, which is mediocre. Over the past three seasons, Duchene’s 50 five-on-five goals are tied for 34th among forwards with at least 1,000 minutes. Along with Viktor Arvidsson, who is ninth on that list, the Predators top two lines now each feature a top-notch goal scorer.

Duchene is more than a scorer, though. Out of those 411 forwards with at least 1,000 five-on-five minutes over the past three seasons, his 39 primary assists are tied for 49th. Likely linemates Mikael Granlund and Craig Smith should both benefit from that. Duchene hasn’t been used wisely on power plays, so his skill hasn’t translated into results there. But he’s got the potential to help the Predators power-play, which was the least efficient in the NHL last season.

The Predators had to sacrifice a lot just to get the opportunity to sign Duchene. P.K. Subban and his lovable personality were sent to the New Jersey Devils for a mediocre return because Nashville needed cap space. Poile admitted the Subban trade was a necessary evil.

"“Let’s call it like it is,” said Poile. “If we don’t make the Subban trade and get rid of his money, it’s going to be much more difficult to get into the Duchene sweepstakes. … It took the pressure off. So Subban for Duchene sounds like a reasonable way to say it.”"

Likewise, Duchene sacrificed a bit just to come to Nashville. Reportedly, the Montreal Canadiens were offering him a huge deal. The Columbus Blue Jackets offered him an eight-year deal worth $64 million total. However, Duchene took less so he could head to the country music-loving heaven he’s wanted to call home for years.

"“For that to be valued and kind of get that back, what I put into it, it means a lot,” Duchene said. “It was crazy over the last three years how many times I thought I was going to be a Predator and ended up in a different place or it just not happening.”"

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On October 3rd, Duchene will play his first game with the Predators when they take on the Minnesota Wild. It will be a moment that took years to achieve.

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