The Matt Duchene trade was one of the biggest trades in the NHL in the past decade. It’s rare enough that a three way trade happens, but a three way trade with players of this caliber is even rarer. With all the moving parts it’s difficult to determine a winner. However, for the Ottawa Senators and their immediate future it boils down to comparing Matt Duchene and Kyle Turris.
When looking at the two players they both have rather high skill-sets. Both have played as a number one centre and are capable of solid offensive contributions. However, when you delve deeper it becomes apparent that Duchene is a definite upgrade over Turris for the Ottawa Senators.
Equal Offence But With Weaker Linemates
In terms of basic stats, they are fairly similar in recent seasons. Both have hovered at around the 55-60 point range. However, it’s not as simple as that. Turris has been players such as Stone, Hoffman, Karlsson, and Ryan. All of them are offensive stars and help Turris play better. Conversely, Duchene hasn’t been playing with quality line mates. While it is true that there are some good players at the top end on the Avalanche, they weren’t playing with Duchene. The two most obvious players in Mackinnon and Landeskog played on a line separate from Duchene. The best line mate he had in the past few years may have been Yakupov. Playing with far inferior line mates to Turris, Duchene was able to put up similar numbers. When he has Karlsson feeding him passes it’s likely he will see a jump in production.
Higher Ceiling
Duchene also has a higher ceiling. At his peak, Duchene is capable of being a point per game player. Turris is at best a 60 point contributor. In addition, Duchene has better possession stats than Turris and is equal or better defensively.
Next: Ottawa Senators: Breaking Down The Matt Duchene Trade
Longer Contract
The final comparison between the two players is guaranteed time with the Sens. Turris was likely gone after this season but Duchene still has two years left on his contract. That and it seems like Duchene is interested in re-signing with the Ottawa Senators.
Playing with superior line mates, Duchene has a much higher ceiling, and a much better skill set than Kyle Turris. Projected to play on a line with Mike Hoffman, they could be on of the most deadly lines in hockey.