What are Pierre Dorion’s worst trades as GM?
![OTTAWA, ON - DECEMBER 13: Cody Ceci #5 of the Ottawa Senators celebrates his second period goal against the New York Rangers with teammates Mark Stone #61, Matt Duchene #95 and Bobby Ryan #9 at Canadian Tire Centre on December 13, 2017 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Jana Chytilova/Freestyle Photography/Getty Images) OTTAWA, ON - DECEMBER 13: Cody Ceci #5 of the Ottawa Senators celebrates his second period goal against the New York Rangers with teammates Mark Stone #61, Matt Duchene #95 and Bobby Ryan #9 at Canadian Tire Centre on December 13, 2017 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Jana Chytilova/Freestyle Photography/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/defe28b129c89df3e4cc6fdbbf6ea3c79e8abdf70c8d8f80cc32b3436c11d72a.jpg)
Matt Duchene… The First Trade.
After their long run to the Eastern Conference Finals, Pierre Dorion was convinced that the Ottawa Senators were missing just one piece in order to make it over the hump and win it all. He believed that piece to be a true number one center. In order to rectify this, he would complete a blockbuster trade with the Colorado Avalanche and the Nashville Predators that would see Matt Duchene finally be moved away from the Avalanche to chase postseason hockey in Ottawa.
Except that’s not how it happened. The Senators would begin their free-fall from grace and finish that season at the bottom of the NHL’s standings and pick 4th overall due to losing the NHL’s Draft Lottery.
Duchene was acquired in a massive trade that is easiest to breakdown this way:
To Ottawa:
- Matt Duchene (from Colorado)
To Colorado:
- Andrew Hammond (from Ottawa)
- Shane Bowers (from Ottawa)
- 2019 First-Round Pick (from Ottawa)
- 2019 Third Round Pick (from Ottawa)
- Vladislav Kemenev (from Nashville)
- Sam Girard (From Nashville)
To Nashville
- Kyle Turris (from Ottawa)
With the Ottawa Senators, Duchene would impress. In 118 games, he would score 50 goals and 57 assists for 107 points. He came as advertised, but unfortunately, the team would crumble shortly after his arrival, launching the current rebuild. When you pay that much for a player, you’d hope they’d stick around for the long run and be a franchise-defining player.