He's a 26yo with 2 years on his contract at 6m. The way things are going, he will request upwards to 8mil in 2 years.

Douin is a 22yo with a 5year contract at a better cap hit then Duchene.

Whether Duchene is a better player or not, it's marginal and with the contracts, Drouin > Duchene every day of the week.
- l3ig_l2ecl

Well right now your guessing at contracts which is a fun game to play but is nothing more then a guess. And I would only expect Duchene to make more at this point since Drouin is a player that so far was highly hyped but couldn't make the roster in tampa while other players in his draft class picked behind him were making contributions. All I've seen from Drouin to this point is he played good two years ago with tampa in the playoffs. But since then he hasn't done much, he shows a few flashes but going from a 2nd or 3rd line in tampa bay to being your saviour is a huge jump. I respect the kid is willing to take on the challenge near is home town and he does have some talent. But at this time I'd still take Duchene any day and especially at centre, if your watching the games Drouin as been playing centre like a winger. Wingers just fly up down the boards and are the last to play D and a centre is suppose to be the first one on offence and the first one on defence. It's a much tougher positon to play and a lot more demanding. The leafs considered doing the same thing with JVR a couple years ago as he played centre when he was younger. That was just a thought though as they realized he was a much better winger then centre as that's the position he always played in the show. Montreal would be much better off with Drouin on the wing but that can't happen as there is 0 talent at centre and no real assets to make it happen. At least the leafs had a 2nd line caliber centre that had to play the 1st line unfortunately until they drafted someone better. But montreal at best as a third line centre in plekanec in the lineup and if he's on your first line get use to never scoring. Oh sorry I guess based on your numbers this years your getting use to that anyway!

Typical montreal fan puts there own spin on everything that has nothing to do with my comment. I'll explain it to you a little slower this time... How can a montreal fan as you did call Duchene a so so 2nd line centre??? I don't give a shat if he's from the Taliban he's a top line center on a lot of teams and the best centre your team would have had since at least the 70's! You do realize your current 1st line centre is not even a centre. If montreal had any talent at all at centre do you think they would have him playing centre ice? Answer, NO and it has nothing to do with him being French Canadian that there doing that. If a miracle happened and the habs got Duchene do you honestly think Drouin stays as first line centre and they drop Duchene to line two? Or as you stated he's a so so 2nd line centre so I guess they probably put him on the 3rd line and put the superstar known as plekanec on the 2nd.
Also in the future please don't use Matthews name in the same article as drouin as I don't want people thinking he's hanging out with riff raff.

- Chardcore709

Yes, I called Duchene a so so 2nd line centre. Because I think he is not that good. He is not that quality player that you have to break the bank for to get. You do not give up multiple players/prospects/picks for his. And certainly not a local boy on a very good contract.

He is no Crosby, no Toews, no Tavares, no Malkin, no Getzlaf, no Stamkos, no Giroux, no McDavid or even god forbid your poster boy.

For those players you have to break the bank.

Not for Duchene.

I do not think he is that good. Apparently you think he is a good first line centre...... on a team that finished dead-last last season.

And yes, he would be an upgrade over what currently plays in the middle in Montreal.
But if you detract what we would have to give up to get him, the team/organisation would be worse off.. He would again be the first line centre on a bad team: No Thanks.

I am all for getting a legit 1st line centre, but if you have to pay a steep price, then at least get a real good one. Not this one.

But the years and years,.... excuse me: DECADES of total mismanagement in Toronto might have blurred your ability for reality.

Yes, I called Duchene a so so 2nd line centre. Because I think he is not that good. He is not that quality player that you have to break the bank for to get. You do not give up multiple players/prospects/picks for his. And certainly not a local boy on a very good contract.

He is no Crosby, no Toews, no Tavares, no Malkin, no Getzlaf, no Stamkos, no Giroux, no McDavid or even god forbid your poster boy.

For those players you have to break the bank.

Not for Duchene.

I do not think he is that good. Apparently you think he is a good first line centre...... on a team that finished dead-last last season.

And yes, he would be an upgrade over what currently plays in the middle in Montreal.
But if you detract what we would have to give up to get him, the team/organisation would be worse off.. He would again be the first line centre on a bad team: No Thanks.

I am all for getting a legit 1st line centre, but if you have to pay a steep price, then at least get a real good one. Not this one.

But the years and years,.... excuse me: DECADES of total mismanagement in Toronto might have blurred your ability for reality.
- Delios001

I can finally agree on you on something, that no he isnt in the top 10 centres as the guys you mentioned. Might not even be top centre on 15+ teams but he is for sure a 1st line centre on 10 teams. You saying hes a so so 2nd liner puts about 50+ centre iceman ahead of him. Can you really name 50+ guys you would rather at centre? I certainly cant as hard as I try and im pretty sure you cant either. I dont recommend trading drouin in a deal for him either because droiun is the type of player that you want playing with so drouin shouldnt be getting traded.
If your like most habs fans which you may not be your thinking galchenyuk straight up for Duchene would be a fair trade thats not even in the ballpark. A piss poor 4th line centre who cant even get a centre job over the likes of danault, mccarron or plekanec? That has completely lost any scoring touch and may be the worst defensive forward in the league. For what most would consider a good young 1st line centre?
1st line centres rarely become available in trades just like number 1 D dont either. So this is by far the best option for anyone currently looking for one. And lets face it montreal doesnt have the assets to possibly get one of those top 10.
Montreal is in a hard spot there not good enough to make a run. I love weber but as the season progress he slows down because hes great but hes played 10 hard years of his style hockey in the league. Which takes it toll on a body plus he never was the fastest just good positionally. Then Price is your only real hope and hes been bad so far this year. As he gets deeper in that contract montreal will have some buyers remorse. Patches is on an expiring excellent contract but hes going to want close to duchene money as well when it expires. Really without a miracle from above theres no way to fix this team. Ive watched them play a bunch of ahl games live and theres just nothing there in the sysyem. Weber and Price with there contracts are almost impossible trades so deal patches for a late first rounder maybe. But really where does that put the team?
Sorry I get a little excited and off track sometimes, haha. As for Duchene playing on a last place team you have to consider the depth of the team and goaltending. And hes not the 1st great centre to play on a last or near last place team.

Make up your mind. You say sakic doesnt want prospects for dutchy but then proceed to say montreal traded their only trade piece in sergachev who was and is still just that, a prospect. You're just as confusing as sakic is.
- 1993_Cup_Champs

No Sergachev is in the NHL and playing on a regular pairing and is ready for prime time therefore NOT a prospect. Not that hard to figure out lol.