Ottawa Senators: Matt Duchene is No Longer Worth the Risk

The Ottawa Senators were in the mix for Matt Duchene at the trade deadline. Is it still a good a deal for the Sens to go after him?

The General Manager of the Colorado Avalanche, Joe Sakic, has been holding out for a monstrous deal for Matt Duchene. As a result a player who many thought would be dealt at the deadline may stay in Colorado next season. The biggest deal that Sakic reportedly turned down was one from the Islanders. The deal involved a package of Travis Hamonic, a first round pick and a prospect. The rumour is also that it was a middling prospect. However, Sakic turned it down, believing he could get more. The Ottawa Senators were in the mix earlier in the season with many expecting them to make a trade involving a package of Cody Ceci, Colin White, and a first.

Defence Spread too Thin

Now that the summer is here talk of trades vamps up as there’s less hockey to talk about. However, there was also the expansion draft which changes the trade landscape for each team. A trade that seemed reasonable for the Sens just months ago, now may be a terrible idea. It has nothing to do with the quality of player that Matt Duchene is. He’s a phenomenal player. Nor does it have to do with the performance of Cody Ceci or Colin White. The problem with the deal now is the Ottawa Senators took a serious hit to their defensive unit from the expansion draft.

The loss of Marc Methot was a big one for the Sens, but with Thomas Chabot coming in it should be manageable. However, the loss of both Methot and Ceci would not be something the Sens could recover from. Despite his critics Ceci is a decent player for the Sens who still has room to grow. Losing him now would mean the Sens would have to replace half of their top four from the last season. So, while the prospect of acquiring Duchene is great, the sacrifice is too much for the Sens at the moment.

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Final Thoughts

The Ottawa Senators have been in the mix for Matt Duchene for months. However, following the loss of Methot in the expansion draft the Sens don’t have any expendable defenceman. Losing Ceci and Methot would likely mean the Sens would take a massive step back next season even with the added scoring depth given by Duchene. In this situation the risk outweighs the reward.