Colorado finally trades Duchene in 3-way blockbuster
Ottawa Senators land long-shopped centre, ship Turris to Nashville; Avs load up on futures
The Senators acquired centre Matt Duchene from the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday in a three-team deal that involved Ottawa also dealing forward Kyle Turris to the Nashville Predators.
Colorado received prospects Samuel Girard, Vladislav Kamenev and a 2018 second-round draft pick from Nashville, along with forward Shane Bowers, goaltender Andrew Hammond, a 2018 first-round pick and a 2019 third-round selection from Ottawa.
“It’s bittersweet for sure, but I’m excited for a new opportunity in Ottawa,” Duchene said as he left Barclays Center in Brooklyn where the Avalanche lost 6-4 to the Islanders. “(The Senators) have a team that can win a Stanley Cup. I’m really excited to go there and just nothing but a pleasure to have played here for Colorado.”
Duchene had been rumoured in trade talks for several months and had reportedly been dealt to Ottawa on Friday night before that transaction fell through.
Duchene is signed through 2018-19 at a salary-cap hit of $6 million.
“It’s been a while, but we wanted to make sure we had the right deal,” said Colorado general manager Joe Sakic. “I think it worked for all three teams. Ottawa wanted Matt really bad, and Kyle Turris was the perfect fit for what Nashville’s trying to do, and we’re trying to build this up and get younger and have our kids grow together.”
Duchene, who has four goals and six assists in 13 games this season, will play his first game with the Senators on Friday against the Avalanche in Stockholm.
The 5-foot-11, 195 pounder has an impressive international resume that includes Olympic gold in 2014 with Canada along with winning the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, two world championships in 2015 and 2016 and an under-18 worlds in 2008.
Turris, who was set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, immediately signed a six-year, US$36-million contract extension with Nashville.
The 28-year-old has three goals and six assists through 11 games this year for the Senators and added 10 points in 19 playoff games last season as Ottawa reached the Eastern Conference final.
“Kyle is one of the best two-way centres in the National Hockey League,” Nashville general manager David Poile said. “He should be a great fit and will bolster our lineup and give us the depth that’s necessary during the regular season and the playoffs.”
Girard, 19, has one goal and two assists in five games with the Predators this season. The defenceman from Roberval, Que., tallied 192 points in 190 career games with the Shawnigan Cataractes of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and was the league’s defenceman of the year in 2015-16.
Kamenev, 21, has eight points in 10 games with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals this season, while Bowers, 18, was Ottawa’s 28th overall selection at the 2017 NHL draft and is a freshman at Boston University this season.
“We feel this deal brings us some top prospects as well as some high draft picks as we continue to build for both the shortand long-term future,” Sakic said.