Tonight during the Sportsnet broadcast the Headlines panel talked about Matt Duchene as a trade target. That really isn't surprising. There has been a lot of buzz around the possibility of a Duchene trade. Things got interesting when the panel linked Pittsburgh to Matt Duchene.
#Headlines: The @penguins reportedly have interest in acquiring Matt Duchene. https://t.co/h73YDnfhmn pic.twitter.com/LM7nbkzRyF
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) February 12, 2017
You may be thinking why does Pittsburgh need a high priced winger that will cost multiple assets to obtain? I'm asking the same question. This is certainly not something the Penguins have to do. They already boast one the best forward groups in the league. My original thought when I heard the panel was that pursuing Duchene wouldn't be a great idea.
Then towards the end of the segment the panel discussed potential assets needed for Duchene and the ones that came up for Pittsburgh were Marc-Andre Fleury and Derrick Pouliot. If that's the case then I have no reservations about trading for Matt Duchene. He certainly isn't a need, but if Colorado is just going to give him away it's tough to say no. Fleury is going to be moved eventually and Derrick Pouliot is probably not going to get another serious look in Pittsburgh. If that is the base of a potential deal it is the type you can't walk away from.
Colorado is one of those teams you should want your favorite team to make trades with and Jim Rutherford isn't shy in making high profile deals. This might be something to track moving forward.
Thanks for reading!