Rejuvenated Duchene putting up points for Sens
You didn’t have to look far down the National Hockey League scoring list on Tuesday morning to find Matt Duchene.
Heading into Tuesday, the Ottawa Senators centre ranked fifth with 27 points, behind only Colorado’s Mikko Rantanen (32) and Nathan MacKinnon (29), Edmonton’s Connor McDavid and Toronto’s Mitch Marner (both with 28).
Duchene heads into Wednesday night’s contest against the Minnesota Wild at the Xcel Energy Center, the first stop on a four-game road trip, with 10 goals on the season and 15 points in his past seven games, including three points in a 7-5 loss to the Florida Panthers at home on Monday night.
“I’ve had the same process since Day 1 of camp, and that’s where I felt like where I got to last year for probably the last 50 games,” Duchene said Tuesday. “I thought about it a lot this summer, about picking up where I left off.
“I’ve had that approach. It’s nice when things go in (the net), but it’s not the time to sit back and relax. You’ve got to figure it out. As soon as you think you’ve got it figured out, that’s when you don’t. You’ve got to keep on pressing.”
It’s been just over a year — Nov. 5, 2017 — since Senators general manager Pierre Dorion made the massive three-way deal to get Duchene from the Colorado Avalanche. Ottawa sent Kyle Turris to the Nashville Predators and a first-round pick to Colorado.
Duchene has been a difference-maker at both ends of the ice and has helped the players around him perform better. The key is that he’s found a comfort zone and has been pleased with the way the young players have helped push this group of Senators.
“The fresh start has rejuvenated how I’ve felt about myself and I’ve been able to do things that I don’t think maybe I was in the position to do before,” Duchene said. “It’s encouraging, but this is just the start.
“The more things go well, the hungrier I get, and as a group we have to be that way, too. We are that way. That’s all the way through our lineup and our young guys are that way, too.
“I see them coming to the rink hungrier every day. We can’t just be happy with a .500 start. We’ve got to keep pressing.”
Senators head coach Guy Boucher likes the fact Duchene has worked well with the likes of wingers Ryan Dzingel and Colin White. Lately, Duchene has also been productive while playing with Drake Batherson, who was called up this past week from Belleville of the American Hockey League, on his right side.
“That’s what those guys are and that’s why they’re high-end players. (Mark) Stone is the same as Duchene,” Boucher said. “You put players with them and sometimes it doesn’t click. That’s not everybody, but most of the guys you put with those guys are going to perform, basically because they pull their weight.
“They make everybody follow them in the way they play.”
Of course, there’s also the matter of Duchene’s status as a pending unrestricted free agent July 1. Dorion reportedly met with Duchene’s agent, Pat Brisson, last week in Toronto, and according to TSN’s Bob McKenzie, the two sides have made progress toward an extension.
McKenzie tweeted Tuesday that a deal with Duchene — and he doesn’t believe it’s close — would be in the range of eight years and US$8-$9 million per season.
Duchene distanced himself from contract talks on Tuesday.
“I’m not worried about it. I’m worried about helping this team win games,” he said. “I haven’t had a conversation about it. That’s the first I’ve heard it.”
But Duchene does know he’ll have to make a decision on his future, because he could be a key piece to the Senators’ rebuild. The same applies to Stone, who can’t be signed to an extension until after Jan. 1.
“I’ve said since Day 1 that it would be great if this worked out,” Duchene said. “There are so many variables and I haven’t really dug into them yet. It’s a big decision when you’re making a long-term commitment. I haven’t began that process.
“Honestly, I’m just worried about coming in here every day. I love the boys in here. The city is great, the fans are great, and I feel like my game is trending in the right way. And that’s all I’m really concerned about right now.”
Duchene also said he felt “the best I have (felt) in my career right now.
“There’s a lot that goes into making the decision I’m going to have to make. You’re not given a crystal ball, but, at the end of the day, I’m going to make sure it’s the right one for myself and my family.”