Avalanche acquire impressive assets in Duchene deal

Colorado Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic will be judged as either being impressively shrewd or incredibly lucky in his handling of the Matt Duchene situation.

He was probably a combination of the two. But regardless of which assessment you believe, Sakic’s slow-play strategy in dealing Duchene paid off with a strong return for the center.

How many times have we heard over the last several months that Sakic was asking for too many assets in exchange for Duchene?

Sakic’s rivals and members of the media speculated no one would be willing to pay his asking price. It was said he wanted a prize, young defenseman, another quality young player, plus a firstand second-round draft pick.

As the smoke cleared from Sunday night’s three-way trade between the Avalanche, Nashville Predators and Ottawa Senators, what we see is Sakic sitting with a first-, second- and thirdround pick, a prize young defenseman (Samuel Girard), a former first-round pick (Shane Bowers), a desirable young center in Vladislav Kamenev and a credible NHL goalie (Andrew Hammond).

And what he gave up to get those assets was Duchene. Nothing else.

Undoubtedly, it will leak out that Sakic turned down offers that some will believe were better. That’s the way trading works, especially in this era of intense social media scrutiny.

What is undeniable is Sakic, despite all the criticism he received, got exactly what he wanted in this deal and more.

Sure, it was his good fortune that the Senators couldn’t re-sign Kyle Turris, which paved the way for this blockbuster swap. But timing is important in every deal. Some event happens, which opens a door, and quality general managers find a way to rush through that door. The door opened for Sakic, and he stepped through.

Every team received what it needed in the deal. The Predators are the instant winner because they put themselves in a much better position to win the Stanley Cup. The Ryan Johansen-Turris one-two center combination is preferable to the injury-created situation the Predators had during the Stanley Cup Final when it seemed like they were trying to battle the Pittsburgh Penguins with Colton Sissons leading the way at center.

But Sakic has the potential to be the biggest long-term winner because of the number of assets received.

Girard, 19, has shown high-end promise in the few games he has played for the Predators, and Kamenev, 21, has the potential to be as productive as Duchene. He had 21 goals in the American Hockey League last season and has eight points in 10 games this season.

Bowers is a Boston University freshman. Scouts think he’ll play in the NHL.

We haven’t even discussed the draft picks yet.

After Colorado’s standings collapse last season and how slowly Sakic seemed to move on Duchene, some fans wondered how he kept his job. The distrust of Sakic started after his Ryan O’Reilly trade, which failed to yield the bounty that had been anticipated.

But Colorado ownership seemed to still trust Sakic, and maybe that trust wasn’t misguided. The Avalanche have looked sharper this season, posting an 8-6 record, 5-1 at home.

The present no longer looks bleak, and the future seems more positive.

It will be a couple of seasons or longer before we truly know how this deal will benefit the Avalanche, but Sakic has every right to feel smug today.

ISAIAH J. DOWNING/USA TODAY SPORTS Matt Duchene was one of the key players in a three-team trade Sunday.