Matt Duchene is going to get traded at some point, and Tuesday it came out that the Senators were pressing hard to bring in the centre to add to their top 6. Its not the first time the Senators have been linked to Duchene before but the asking price has been too high.
That still seems to be the case, and if Thomas Chabot is included then it is a non-starter. Chabot has the upside that you don't want to give away, even for a more proven talent. I would hesitate to pull the trigger on a major deal, because although he is a good player, the margin between him and what the Senators have as their first line centre in Kyle Turris isn't so great that it would warrant a huge package in return that would decimate the future.
Let's face it, Erik Karlsson has 2 years left on his deal and then he could be free to test the market. As much as you might not like to think about it, there is as much of a chance that he decides to pursue other opportunities as he re-signs in Ottawa. With Chabot being the crown jewel in the system it doesn't make sense to rob Peter to pay Paul so to speak.
Duchene would add to the offense, but then the Senators are paying Derick Brassard to be a 3rd line centre, or move him to the wing. Plus, he will be coming due for a new deal at the same time as Karlsson, and adding his $6M ticket to this team at this point in time is not what the Senators need, unless they can add another big salary going the other way (such as Bobby Ryan), and that is not a likely scenario.
The Avalanche are already testing out one under-achieving ex-Senator on the blue line in Jared Cowen, after passing on Patrick Wiercioch after a year (Wiercioch then went on to sign a 2-way contract with the Canucks). Trying to make Cody Ceci the focal point of a deal is not likely to get Joe Sakic's juices flowing so I don't see anything happening on that front.
So the bottom line, talk is talk but Colorado will most likely hold firm to an ask that not only includes Chabot but another key piece or two. Ottawa won't go there. And while Duchene might be a nice addition to the lineup, at this point in time that would create huge headaches when it is time to get pen to paper starting next summer there are a lot of contracts either needed (Turris, Mark Stone and half the blue line) or eligible (Karlsson and Duchene if the deal were made).
Wishful thinking, but for so many reasons it is not likely to happen, and I am not sure I would even want it from an Ottawa perspective.
But, in many cases that is exactly when it does happen - when you least expect it.