Colorado Avalanche Mount Rushmore of Centers

1.) Matt Duchene

The final selection for the Avalanche Mount Rushmore of Centers is Matt Duchene, who made his early fame wearing the burgundy and black. Duchene was drafted third overall by the Avalanche in the 2009 draft. The Ontario native played nine seasons in Colorado and his 586 games played rank 15th on the all-time games played list.

Duchene was a serviceable player for the Avalanche throughout his nine years in Denver, scoring over 40 points seven times as an Av. He made the All-Rookie team in 2009-10 as a 19-year-old.

Duchene has 178 goals as a member of the Avalanche, good for tenth all time. His 250 assists and 428 points are enough for 13th all-time as an Av. He has 39 all-time power play goals, and his 29 game-winning goals are tenth on the all-time list. Duchene did not get much playoff exposure while in Colorado, playing in only eight games. He recorded six assists in the playoffs as a member of the Avalanche.

He was traded in 2017 to the Ottawa Senators as part of a three-team trade. The most impactful player that returned on the current roster was defenseman Samuel Girard. Duchene has continued to play at a high level since his departure from Colorado and is currently a member of the Dallas Stars.

The Mount Rushmore of Centers for the Colorado Avalanche franchise did not have as much doubt as previous iterations of Mount Rushmore have, and for good reason. The players on this list excelled as Avs, and two of them are already Hall of Famers. MacKinnon is a sure-fire Hall of Famer when he hangs up his skates, and Duchene has been a desired player his entire career, which isn’t over yet either.