First off, I am writing this not having seen any other breakdown or analysis of the trade, and these are my own initial thoughts on the blockbuster that has given many of you your wish, and brought Matt Duchene to the Ottawa Senators.

Are the Senators a better team today than they were yesterday? Yes. By how much is debatable, as I think Kyle Turris was underrated and the difference between him and Duchene is smaller than most people think.

The trade doesn't address the paper-thin Senators top 6, it just swaps out #1 centres. In a perfect world you add Duchene to what was the current mix and the club becomes dynamic, but you can't add without subtracting at this point in time.

Turris signed a 6 year, $6M per contract extension, which was apparently more than the Senators wanted to commit. I think that is a bargain and the Predators are now my favorite to win the Stanley Cup with their depth down the middle, a great 1-2 punch of Ryan Johansen and Turris. Turris was a legitimate #1 centre, but will be elite in the #2 role.

If Ottawa didn't want to go 6X$6 for Turris, wait until Duchene comes due, at the same time as Erik Karlsson and Mark Stone. Stone is due a new contract after this season, and could easily come in at 7 or 8 years at $7M per. Karlsson will be $10M or higher on a long term deal that he is eligible to sign as early as July 1st, at the same time as Duchene can sign an extension. If Duchene is as good as almost everyone except me thinks he is, then he will get a significant raise on the $6M cap hit he has for this year and next, and could be as high as $8 or $9M on a long term deal. The Senators are going from budget team to salary cap hell in 2 years.

Ottawa did manage to pull off the deal without touching prized prospects Thomas Chabot, Colin White or Logan Brown, but did deal 2017 first rounder Shane Bowers, as well as their first and third round picks in 2018 and they managed to unload Andrew Hammond and his salary on the Avs, clearing out some of the goalie glut they had.

I guess the bottom line on whether you like the deal or not depends on what you think you are getting in Duchene. Yes, he is probably the best player in the deal, so at that level of evaluation the Senators did ok.

Is Duchene a centre that you can build a team around, and that surefire elite pivot that you seem to need in order to contend for a Stanley Cup? I am not sure, and that is where my opinion seems to differ from most. Yes, he has played on Team Canadas in the Olympics and in the World Cup. And he was very good in those tournaments, but that is on a team surrounded by spectacular players. It is tough to tell exactly what he is at this point in time because of the Colorado situation that he has been stuck in for the better part of a year and a half, playing while awaiting this trade.

Who is the real Matt Duchene?

That is the question that I need the answer to, but at first look I am not sure the upgrade is worth the headache that it is going to cause and the trickle-down effect it will have on the rest of the roster.

But then again I could be wrong, and maybe he is that top end forward talent the Senators haven't had since Spezza-Heatley-Alfresson (although Stone is quickly reaching that level). Duchene won't have to wait long to stick it to the Avs as they will have both of their meetings this season in Sweden this coming Friday and Saturday.

And a quick word of thanks to Turris for his parts of 7 seasons in Ottawa, where he developed from prospect to legitimate NHLer in front of our very eyes. Enjoy Nashville and the potential Cup ring you are about to win.

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