Is Turris on the trade block?
New Westminster native reportedly part of failed three-way deal
Pierre Dorion has been relentless in his pursuit of Matt Duchene.
The Ottawa Senators general manager came close to a deal Friday night that died on the table, but that doesn’t mean the door is completely closed on the club trying to find a way to acquire the disgruntled Colorado Avalanche centre.
While the Senators were close on a three-way deal with the Avalanche and Nashville that would have brought Duchene to Ottawa and sent centre Kyle Turris to the Predators, the trade fell apart because one of the teams involved wasn’t satisfied enough to pull the trigger.
It’s hard to determine what happened to send talks off the rails, but one of the issues is Turris, a native of New Westminster, who would have had to agree to a contract extension with the Predators before any trade could have been made.
The Senators wanted to get this done before they head to Stockholm Monday to face the Avalanche in a back-to-back series starting Friday. But Dorion and Avalanche GM Joe Sakic will both be overseas with their teams, so there’s nothing stopping them from sitting down for a face-to-face meeting.
Teams talk on the phone all the time, but often GMs will tell you that once they get in the same room, it’s easier to make a trade.
Given the demands the Avalanche are making for any deal involving Duchene — believed to be a package of high draft picks and a prospect — another team had to get involved to make it happen. That’s why the Predators, who are heavily interested in Turris, were brought into the mix.
All things being equal, the Senators could have had Duchene, 26, in their lineup for their game Saturday, a 5-4 loss at home to the Vegas Golden Knights, but it’s believed somebody involved in the trade balked. It means if Dorion wants this to happen, he’ll need to find a new dance partner who’s willing to satisfy Colorado’s needs in this deal.
Since a three-team trade is difficult to consummate at the best of times, it would have to be a case where all three general managers are satisfied with what they’re getting in return and that’s the biggest hurdle to making a deal like this. Also, Turris would have be willing to sign an extension in his new destination.
The Senators aren’t alone in pursuing Duchene. The Montreal Canadiens, Carolina Hurricanes and the Predators have been among seven or eight clubs that have shown genuine interest.
Meanwhile, Turris’ future in Ottawa is clouded at best with his camp and the Senators not close on a contract extension.
The fact Turris was offered to the Predators as part of the deal to bring Duchene to Ottawa indicates the Senators are ready to move on from their top centre. It’s not known if Turris’ agent Kurt Overhardt was allowed to discuss contract terms with the Predators, but if he was, then that changes the dynamics here.
It’s believed the St. Louis Blues showed interest in Turris during the pre-season when it was apparent the two sides weren’t close on a deal. Turris’ camp is asking for a seven-year deal worth about US$6 million per season on average and it’s believed Ottawa has put a five-year offer on the table at similar money.
While the two sides could still bridge the gap, at this point the odds are slim.