In a year’s time, the cards will be in Matt Duchene’s hands to choose where he wants to play for the foreseeable future. And though he’s expressed interest in sticking with the Senators, a move could be on the horizon.
With the Senators’ future in flux, Duchene is going to have to decide whether he wants to stick with the team during what will likely be a rebuild or jet to a contender. When asked about the situation, Duchene insisted sticking in Ottawa is in the cards, though the Tavares sweepstakes intrigued him. He also mentioned that he has not engaged in contract talks with the team yet.
With Mike Hoffman off the books and Erik Karlsson potentially heading out of town in the near future, Ottawa will likely be prepared to offer the forward a huge contract. After all, they did give up a number of assets to acquire him. But Duchene, who’s mentioned on numerous occasions his desire to win a Stanley Cup, could choose to play with a contending logo on his chest. He should be a hot commodity at the deadline if he remains unsigned.
The worst case scenario for Sens fans would be if Duchene actually replicated Tavares and made a homecoming to Toronto. Though it seems unlikely, it wouldn’t be surprising if the 27–year-old was in a different sweater in a year’s time.
(H/T Frank Seravalli)
