In the space between the end of the NHL season and July 1, trade rumors run rampant, especially on this site.
Every fan and their great grandmother has an idea for a trade to make to make their team better.
This offseason, for Colorado Avalanche fans, a lot of teams have brought up Matt Duchene's name in a trade proposal. While the deals have been good, there still is one thing to consider: he's 21.
Duchene still a lot of room to grow, on and off the ice. He still has a little filling out to do and even more learning to do. Everyone can acknowledge that last year was a bad year for Duchene. When he wasn't hurt, he was tried out at every forward position, moved around and never allowed to get comfortable.
Trading Duchene, especially at this point will be hard because his value is the lowest it has been. There are some serious questions about Duchene's work ethic, dedication and perhaps his durability. Making a gutsy trade like this would not be the greatest idea for the very reason of not getting the best return.
Duchene will be better next year. He's rarely been on Twitter this offseason, something he probably did too much last season. Last time we saw him was in Los Angeles with Sidney Crosby, watching the Stanley Cup Finals. Duchene and Crosby have been known to work out together in the offseason, usually working out in Vail all through August.
From the looks of things, comparing last year to this year, Duchene has become focused on getting better and also has matured a little more.
Once Duchene comes into his own, he'll start creating space for his wingers and, if his wingers are good enough, he will be able to score 80-90 points per year. He's also got a quick enough release in his shot, he could get 35-40 goals a year. That's what the expectation is for Duchene, all while playing 200 feet of the surface.
Fans expected Duchene to be their first line center for years to come and were hoping he'd offset the loss of Sakic. Asking a player to step in and immediately replace the player he grew up watching is just not fair. Duchene is his own player with his own skills and no one, not even Sakic, is a finished product when they step onto the ice for their first game.
It takes time, patience and dedication. As Avs fans, we haven't let Duchene have the time to grow, the patience to allow him to develop and, to be fair, Duchene probably has not show the level of dedication he needs.
Maybe now, the Avs will recognize Duchene as his own separate player not tied to any of the former legends who have lived in this town and are beholden in the hearts of Avs fans everywhere. Maybe now Duchene can just become that first line center if we'll grant him the time.
Trading him now, unless it is an overwhelming deal, would not be smart just because we fans have not seen what Duchene will become and if he becomes a 80-90 point player after we trade him, then it will be a bad trade to make.
Lets give him some more time to grow and to grow independently of the shadows of Sakic and Peter Forsberg. Maybe then we can see what he is and then if the Avs want to trade him, we can make a more educated decision and get more back in the trade. For now though, let's hold on to him.
Avs officially in on Suter or Parise
When Adrian Dater is talking about something the Avs are doing, it is a good bet that they are doing it. No one knows better when the Avs are going to sign someone or not sign someone or when they are going to make a trade. Last year, he broke that the avs were going to trade for a goaltender mere minutes before they acquired Semyon Varlamov.
Why am I saying this? Well that's because the Avs, according to Dater are poking around Suter or Parise, trying to decide which one to go after. From the sounds of it, the Avs are going to pick one and go after him, no word on who it is though.
Especially after the Broncos brought in Peyton Manning, it would be great to have the Avs bring in a big name of their own in an effort to give Colorado sports some real buzz for the next year or two or five.
Stay tuned all, there's more to come.
Colorado Avalanche Blogger • 
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