After all the fireworks and the endless speculation, star pivot Matt Duchene remains a member of the Colorado Avalanche heading into the fourth game of the club’s schedule. And with two wins through the first three games, the centreman actually doesn’t seem to mind his current situation.
“Tonight was probably the best game that we’ve played,” Duchene told BSN Denver’s Adrian Dater after Colorado’s 4-0 win over Boston on Monday. “We’ve got a lot of young guys, a lot of guys who are experiencing this for the first time. It’s fun to be an older guy who has been here for nine years now and watch the excitement. It puts you back, brings you back to that place that you were at when you were that young. It’s fun.
“It’s fun to see those guys enjoying themselves. It definitely makes you appreciate playing the game even more.”
Rumours surrounding a potential Duchene trade have raged for months, but no deal has materialized as general manager Joe Sakic has yet to see his asking price met by interested clubs.
While few thought Duchene would be wearing a Colorado jersey at this point, let alone enjoying it, the 26-year-old said he’s simply focusing on his game.
“I’m just trying to enjoy playing hockey,” Duchene said. “Every day, I try to come to the rink and do the best I can to compete. I’m really pleased with where my game’s at right now. My wingers are playing really well, and I think we could even have a few more (points) than we do right now. A guy like (Alexander Kerfoot) is doing all the right things, and (Nail Yakupov) got on the board twice tonight.”
Though the Avalanche have seen a successful start, as has Duchene himself – the Haliburton, Ont. native has three points through three games – the veteran pivot stopped short of telling Dater he’d be happy to remain in Colorado.
“I’m not addressing that,” Duchene said. “I’m here to talk about the game, that’s it.”
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