Colorado Avalanche: The NHL Draft Letdown

With speculation that the Colorado Avalanche might trade Matt Duchene, a suddenly quiet draft a little bit of spark to it.

Every year we get caught up in it. The pre-draft rumors. Your favorite team is going to trade for a high-end talent. Your favorite team will trade their high-end. They’re going to trade up in the draft to ensure that they get their guy. They’re going to trade down in the draft because they think they can get their guy and an extra pick or player. Every year.

Last year, the Colorado Avalanche actually proved the rumors to be true when they dealt core player Ryan O’Reilly to the Buffalo Sabres. However, those rumors weren’t exactly baseless speculation. O’Reilly had been at odds with Avs management for the better part of three seasons with no end in sight. Everyone knew that the Avs would deal O’Reilly before he became a free agent and left for nothing. It wasn’t a matter of if they would deal him, it was a matter of when.

This year, Tyson Barrie‘s name was hot on the trade burner until Joe Sakic shut that down by declaring that he was working hard to sign the restricted free agent to a long-term contract. Barrie’s name still floated around, but the speculation cooled off.

That’s when Matt Duchene’s name once again came to the forefront. Duchene’s name was scorching hot a month into the season when the man himself was ice cold on score sheets. Then he flipped the script, lighting up opposing goalies and cooling off the trade rumors. Seven months later, his name came up again thanks to a rumor that pegged the Colorado Avalanche as one of the suitors for Montreal Canadians defenseman P.K. Subban.

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That’s how these things work. Subban’s name was hot and the Avs were interested because of course they were. Well, Montreal wasn’t going to just give him away. They’ve made that mistake before. So it’s possible that Montreal wanted Duchene as part of the return for Subban. What’s that, the Avs might include Duchene in a deal? That means he’s on the trade block as well. Except not really.

Sure, if a team was going to blow away the Avs with an offer for Duchene, they’d be dumb not to listen. But like Montreal with Subban, the Avs weren’t going to give away Duchene for nothing.

There’s been no indication that our beloved number nine is unhappy in Denver. Remember, this is a kid who grew up idolizing Joe Sakic and Patrick Roy. His favorite team was Colorado. If it were up to him, I’m pretty sure he’d sign a lifetime contract with a no trade clause with the Avs.

That’s the issue with NHL Draft. Prospects aren’t exciting. The unknown doesn’t thrill anyone. Guys are drafted and no one knows just how they’re going to turn out. Every pick seems like a good pick on paper.

Maybe a team reaches, but maybe that reach turns into the next superstar. People are shocked when a guy falls, but maybe there’s a reason as to why he fell. The draft is extremely important, it’s arguably the most important date of the offseason because the best teams are built through the draft. But it’s not exciting for fans.

Trades and rumors are exciting because fans know what they’re getting. They know that Matt Duchene is a certified G and a bonafide stud. They know that P.K. Subban is an elite defenseman entering the prime of his career. It’s easy to sink your teeth into a nice juicy steak cooked the way you want it. It’s much tougher to bite into a fried spider.

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In the end, like most years, the rumors outweighed the reality. None of the top picks were moved, Subban stayed, Ben Bishop stayed, Duchene stayed, the negotiating rights to Steven Stamkos stayed. The biggest name moved was Pavel Datsyuk, who got traded to Arizona to play alongside Chris Pronger.

Those that bought into the rumors were no doubt disappointed that the team didn’t make a big splash. Those that didn’t are hopeful that in five years, they can be excited about the guys drafted this weekend as their names pop up in trade rumors.