When the Colorado Avalanche shipped enforcer Cody McLeod to the Nashville Predators, center Matt Duchene inherited the title of the team’s longest-tenured player. It’s a title that he very well could abdicate soon enough.
“I’m open to it,” Duchene told the Denver Post’s Mark Kiszla on Wednesday when asked about potentially being traded. “When I say open to it, I know it’s part of the business, and it’s something that might happen.”
With 15 tallies, Duchene is the Avalanche’s leading goal scorer this season. His 29 points rank second. Capable of playing both center and wing, the 26-year old has emerged as one of the league’s top faceoff men, winning 59.8 percent of his draws through 41 games this season.
Through his first seven seasons, Duchene has only made the playoffs twice. With the Avalanche riding a seven-game losing streak, and on pace to hit historic lows, losing has begun to take its toll on the forward.
“It’s tough for everybody,” he said. “Waking up in the morning, it’s not the same excitement going to the rink.”
Whether Duchene is dealt remains to be seen. He is on a team-friendly deal that will see him carry a cap hit of $6 million through the 2018-2019 season, but the price of acquiring him may/should be high. For now, he remains in burgundy and blue.
“I’m a member of the Avalanche today,” he said. “Who knows what tomorrow holds?”
