Avalanche coach Jared Bednar is more interested in defeating the Ottawa Senators at the Pepsi Center on Friday than he is about the return of Matt Duchene.
“It doesn’t make any difference to me,… he said Thursday following an optional practice. “I’m excited for our team to get back on the ice and respond after last night’s game (a 1-0 loss to Tampa Bay). I’m sure some of our fans love him and some of them don’t. It is what it is.…
The irony is that Duchene had asked to be traded because he didn’t want to be involved in another rebuilding situation following the Avalanche's miserable 48-point season in 2016-17.
But the Avalanche rebounded with 95 points last year, made the playoffs and are off to a 6-2-2 start this season. Now the Senators (4-3-1) are rebuilding and most pundits expect them to miss the playoffs.
Duchene has eight points (one goal, seven assists) in eight games this season. He had 49 points (23 goals, 26 assists) in 68 games with the Senators last year.
As part of the three-team trade with Nashville last Nov. 5, Ottawa sent its 2019 first- and third-round draft picks to the Avalanche.
“I think we have added incentive after the Tampa game,… Bednar said. “We played real well and weren’t able to get any points, so we should be a hungry team. We know the situation that we have Ottawa’s draft picks, so if we can do something to kick them down a little bit, it’s good for us.
“I’m sure the players have motivation with Matt coming back in and would like to show him what kind of team we’ve become.…
Duchene played two games against the Avalanche five days after the trade in Stockholm as part of the 2017 SAP NHL Global Series, but the atmosphere at the Pepsi Center promises to be significantly different.
“I remember when you get traded and you play against your former team for the first time, there’s a lot of emotion,… said Erik Johnson, whom the Avalanche acquired from St. Louis on Feb. 18, 2011. “You play somewhere for a long time like Matt did, it definitely means a lot. I’m sure he’ll be excited.
“I guess from my standpoint I didn’t see (my trade) coming, so that was more of a shock for me,… Johnson said. “When you’re kind of blindsided by it … you don’t really expect it, it’s kind of your whole world is kind of tipped over at that time.
“I think Matt saw it coming, wanted a change of scenery. That was what he wanted, and everyone’s entitled to play where they want to play. If they’re unhappy they can ask for a change. He played hard when he was in an Avalanche uniform. That’s just kind of the way it happened, but we’re happy with the return and I think he’s happy with where he is in Ottawa.…
Duchene, 27, was in his ninth season with the Avalanche when the trade was completed during the first period of Colorado’s game against the New York Islanders in Brooklyn. Along with the two draft picks, the Avalanche received the rights to Boston University forward Shane Bowers and goalie Andrew Hammond from the Senators.
The Avalanche also received defenseman Samuel Girard -- he's on the first pairing with Johnson -- from Nashville, along with forward Vladislav Kamenev and a 2018 second-round pick. The Predators acquired center Kyle Turris from the Senators.
Duchene played 586 regular-season games with the Avalanche and ranks seventh in Colorado/Quebec franchise history with 178 goals and 10th for assists (250) and points (428). He had six assists in eight playoff games, his last postseason appearance coming in 2013-14.
“When Matt was here we enjoyed playing with him,… Johnson said. “He was a really good player, and he’s been a really good player for Ottawa this year.
“We know what kind of player he is; he’s a really skilled player and he can make you pay if you don’t know where he is on the ice. He’s going to be excited to come back to Denver and it’s going to be a fun thing.…
The Avalanche had a “Meet the Team… function with season ticket holders at the Pepsi Center on Thursday night, otherwise Johnson said, “I’m sure guys would grab dinner with him. I’m sure we’ll all see him tomorrow at the morning skate.…
Bednar said that Philipp Grubauer will start in goal against Ottawa. Semyon Varlamov gets the start Saturday in Minnesota.