Training camp is a couple of weeks away and players are beginning to return to their teams in anticipation. Colorado Avalanche center Matt Duchene may not be one of those players.
The star forward has been on the trade block all summer and has zero resolution to a situation that has been ongoing since the trade deadline. TSN insider Darren Dreger gave the inside scoop on Duchene after he spoke to Buffalo's WGR 550 after they discussed David Pastrnak's contract issues.
“It’s the same company that represents Matt Duchene that represents David Pastrnak,” said Dreger. "We’re talking about CAA Sports here. They try to manage things as quietly as they can, as efficiently as they can, and as respectful of the team, the organization as they can.
“Matt Duchene is a veteran player. He doesn’t want to leave the Colorado Avalanche with crashing waves and all kinds of bad blood. He wanted this situation remedied a long time ago and he’s still hoping that that’s the case in the days leading up to the Colorado Avalanche training camp.
“Now, there’s been some suggestion – and certainly not from either side, this is just the time of year where rumors and such start to kind of circulate – that maybe Duchene wouldn’t show up for training camp if Joe Sakic and the Colorado Avalanche didn’t move him. I’m not getting that from either side. I’m pretty confident in saying that I don’t believe that Pat Brisson has made that threat to Sakic and the Avalanche, but you do got to wonder if that’s the direction this thing could go in if Sakic doesn’t find a deal that makes sense to him to move Matt Duchene in the next couple of weeks.
“So I would say that while this has seemingly been a back-burner situation for quite some time – several months, in fact over a year – I think it’s now shifted into a front-burner situation and there’ll be some heat on Sakic and the Avs to get this done in the next 14 days.”
Duchene had been a player that was reportedly pursued by the Blue Jackets all summer. The Blue Jackets had been one of the front runners but the reported asking price was too much. With the latest news, could the Blue Jackets be once again in the running?
It'll be interesting to see if the leverage in the trade negotiations switches sides and goes out of the Avalanche's favor. A tough situation for the Avalanche appears to be getting tougher and if a team can take advantage, Duchene may be had for a discounted rate.
