Matt Duchene is Not an Islander… Yet
The Islanders stayed put at the trade deadline, what does this mean?
Leading up to the trade deadline, Garth Snow and the New York Islanders were linked to some pretty serious trade rumors with the abysmal Colorado Avalanche. The center piece in these rumors was star center, and former 3rd overall pick, Matt Duchene.
Matt Duchene plays the game with a level of skill and speed that are hard to find and could have proved to be a real difference maker this season and for the future of the Islanders. The 2009 nine draft class featured NHL superstars John Tavares, Victor Hedman, and the aforementioned Duchene as the top three picks. Of members from this class, Duchene trails only Tavares in career points and would serve as the perfect second line center for a team struggling to find scoring outside of its top line.
As shown in his career stats, Duchene shows the ability to become a point per game player and at age 26 has yet to truly hit his prime or play on a team good enough to let him flourish. While he would not likely play on a line with Tavares, the two studs would give opposing penalty kill units nightmares. Duchene is a consistent producer on all ends of the ice and has shown the ability to play even strength, power play, and penalty kill minutes. Duchene brings a lot to the table, but lets discuss what it would have taken to see the stud center donning the Blue and Orange.
Potential Trade Pieces:
It is reported that the Avalanche were asking for a young defenseman, a top tier prospect, a top-9 winger, and a first round pick to even consider moving Duchene. Here are the possible players that could have gotten a deal done:
Young Defenseman:
This request likely means either Travis Hamonic or Ryan Pulock would be on the move to Colorado. Hamonic is an established shut down defenseman, who does not truly bring an offensive threat to the game. He has been a valuable part of the Islanders recent success, but with a history of injuries and young defensemen, Adam Pelech and Scott Mayfield, capable of filling his spot, he is the guy the the Islanders would likely prefer to part with.
Ryan Pulock, on the other hand, has yet to play major minutes in the NHL, but posses a 106 MPH slapshot and a rare offensive prowess for a defenseman. Hamonic is more established and a sure thing, but the Islanders have no replacement for the offense that Pulock can add from the blue line. This would likely make Pulock a piece worth holding onto in any situation.
Prospects:
The Islanders are loaded with top prospects under the age of 21. This includes rookie Anthony Beavillier, and 3 former first round draft picks in Michael Dal Colle, Mathwe Barzal, and Joshua Ho Sang. Barzal is the most highly touted of these players and is the one who Colorado is reported to be the most keen of. While the Islanders should try to hold on to all of these assets, you simply cannot get a player of Duchene’s status without giving up top level talent. The player who makes the most sense to move is former 5th overall pick Michael Dal Colle. MDC is probably the most polished of these prospects, however in my opinion he has the lowest ceiling of the four. Ho Sang and Barzal both possess the speed and skill game that the NHL is shifting towards which could make them absolute studs in the league. Dal Colle on the other hand plays a hard and smart brand of hockey which ensures he will be a top 6 winger in the league, without the boom or bust potential of the other two prospects. Because of this the Islanders would most easily part with MDC while Colorado should make a hard push to get Barzal on the deal.
Top 9 Winger:
The two wingers that the Islanders posses who would most likely fit this bill are Ryan Strome and Brock Nelson. Both players have turned into solid NHL wingers but have not lived up to all the hype around them. Brock is a consistent twenty goal scorer but is one of the most streaky players in the league and does not bring much to the table outside of scoring. Since Strome’s fifty point rookie season he has struggled to get back to where he needs to be. Both players fit the exact description of a top 9 winger and the Islanders should not have an issue parting with either of them to get Duchene to the Island.
First Round Pick:
This is a no brainer, a first round pick may take 3–4 years to pan out, if at all. it is worth mortgaging one mid to late first round pick for a stud like Duchene.
So What’s the Hold Up?
While it is unclear why this trade did not happen it is safe to assume the prospects were the key sticking point in negotiations. GM Garth Snow is very high on his system wingers and it is told that Mathew Barzal has been deemed “untouchable” by the organization. It is a safe bet to say that Mathew Barzal was the main stopping piece in this negotiation which stopped the deal.
What’s Next?
Rookie Joshua Ho Sang has recently joined the club and it appears the Islanders will look to their farm system for the rest of the season and revisit the Duchene situation in the summer. This likely means the team will likely miss the postseason for the first time in two years or be bounced in the first round, yet again.
