What are the Ottawa Senators going to do with Matt Duchene?
After placing Matt Duchene on IR, the mystery about what the Ottawa Senators will end up doing about the pending free agent deepens even more.
The hits just keep on coming for the Ottawa Senators in what’s become a seemingly never-ending nightmare ever since their run to the 2017 Eastern Conference Finals. Now, their top line center Matt Duchene could be out “long-term” with a lower-body injury, once again raising questions about what the Senators are planning to do with him after this season.
Duchene left the Thursdays game against the Montreal Canadiens in the second period with what was later called a “lower body injury”. It’s unclear how Duchene suffered the injury but appeared to be in serious pain on his final shift after failing to beat out an icing. The Senators placed him on IR on Friday, with no further update on his condition.
This injury could not have come at a worse time for the 27-year-old Duchene, who will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. Duchene was currently in the midst of the best start of his career with 34 points in 27 games, which led the team, this injury will now hurt his negotiating power either with the Senators about a contract extension or the free agency market if he makes it there. He’s certainly getting a raise from his previous $6M a year contract, but this is his last chance at a big money contract, so any kind of set back is ultimately damaging to his bottom line.
He came over from the Colorado Avalanche in November of 2017, a trade that saw Kyle Turris sent to the Nashville Predators from the Senators, and sent Andrew Hammond, Shane Bowers and a first and third round pick to Colorado. Duchene was meant to be the final piece of the puzzle for the Senators to make another deep playoff run, but everything went south after that with a collapse that saw them finish 29th in the league.
Ever since the season began to tank for the Senators last season, trade rumors have circulated around Duchene and his future with the organization, and if they would be willing to move him to make up for the losses they gave up to get him in that three-way trade with the Avalanche and Predators. It really depends on how you look at it, because they desperately need at least one first round pick in this years draft, but with everything gave up for to get Duchene it would be a bad look to move him for less than gave up for him.
Whether they extend or trade Duchene will show what kind of rebuild the Senators plan on running over the next several seasons. If the Senators really want to tear it down, then they need move him before the deadline. In a season that will almost certainly end up finishing in the league basement, they have no first-round pick in this years draft, and at worst Duchene can net you that and then some. On the flip side, Duchene is a great building block for a young team and can get them back into being competitive faster if he’s willing to stay.
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I don’t think the Senators have enough to entice Duchene into staying since he’s made it clear that he desires to play for contending team, and this early in such a deep rebuild you can’t afford to let a player like that walk in free agency. If there is any bright side to this injury, it should open up some time for management and Duchene to discuss an extension.