Hello, Matt Duchene.
You've probably heard about the deal: the Blue Jackets have swung a pre-deadline blockbuster, bringing in All-Star center Matt Duchene from the Ottawa Senators. The details of the trade have been covered by multiple NHL insiders and you can read the instant recap from the 1st Ohio Battery team (rest assured, we'll have plenty more coverage to come).
So, who is this guy? Let's dive into it.
Duchene is 28 years old and was the No. 3 overall pick by the Colorado Avalanche in 2009. He is a seven-time 20-goal scorer and scored 30 goals in 2016-17; through 50 games in 2018-19, Duchene has scored 27 goals and has 58 points. He's been awesome on a bad Senators team.
Here's a snippet from his NHL.com bio:
In 2009-10, the Haliburton, Ontario, native with a non-stop motor made Colorado's roster out of his first training camp, with he and then-teammate Ryan O'Reilly becoming the first 18-year-olds to skate with the Avalanche. Duchene had an assist in his NHL debut on Oct. 1, 2009 and led all rookies with 55 points in 81 games.
With 24 goals he tied John Tavares, the No. 1 pick in 2009 by the New York Islanders, for the most among rookies and ranked second on the Avalanche, who clinched a playoff spot thanks in part to Duchene's decisive shootout goal against the Vancouver Canucks on April 6, 2010.
Duchene had three assists in the Avalanche's six-game loss to the San Jose Sharks in the first round of the playoffs. His impressive 2009-10 season earned him a spot on the NHL All-Rookie Team and he finished third in Calder Trophy voting.
In 2010-11, Duchene became the youngest player (20 years, 10 days) in Avalanche history to reach 100 career points and made his first NHL All-Star Game. In that game he scored a goal and took the first penalty shot in All-Star history, though he was stopped by New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist.
Duchene's 27 goals and 67 points in 2010-11 made him the youngest player in franchise history to lead the team in scoring. He became the Avalanche's youngest single-season scoring leader (20 years, 84 days), surpassing franchise icon Joe Sakic.
And some notes and nuggets from his NHL career:
- NHL All-Rookie Team (2010)
- Played in NHL All-Star Game (2011, 2016)
