Quoting: texus8
There are other options like offer sheets or maybe even KHL players for the Habs, it's not great but it's not like Duchene is the end all be all either. And of course he's a better player than he showed this season, you don't have to be a genius to figure that one out. But if he's a perfect amazing player then the Avs wouldn't be openly shopping him. They obviously have some issues with either his on-ice or off-ice, and he doesn't seem to fit on their team anymore. I would also say that most analysts, like Pierre McGuire, would agree that he's not a stud #1 C, and so you're not gonna give up a 19 year old potential franchise #1 D who will play 25-30 minutes a game, for a player like Duchene. Not to mention he's 26 and only 2 years away from free agency so from a contract point of view that trade doesn't make sense.
Let's agree to revisit this after he moves lol, and we'll see who was right.
Avs need to get better on D and moving him is realyl the only option to do that. I dont want to see him go but I understand why he will be moved.
My point is that hes not a 3rd line Winger as you mentioned, even as a joke, to think avs will move him for pennies on the dollar wont happen.
Teams who want to win now bc their team is in that window of an older roster will want to add Duchene. He is 26, not some 30 year old rental. You can sitll have this guy for 8-10 more years on your team and be a product part of it. I just never really get the stud 19-20 year old arguement when it comes to prospects. Should the Habs move Sergechev, no bc he probably will be good down the line, but he has also never played a game of Pro hockey yet, for all we know he could end up a tire fire once playing pro hockey. There is a gamble there, for both sides since its a very big unknown until they have 100 games of pro hockey under their belts.
It seems like every teams fan bases thinks they have the next NHL D stud currently. I dont think there are going to be 10-12 future Norris winning stud Dman all coming in at the same time. Some will be good to average Dman, a few might be exceptional. If your team has achance to win the cup now in the next year or 2 instead of waiting 5-6 years down the line when a guy could be a Norris stud, maybe its worth it in the end to take a run at Dutch if you can get that cup