Finding a Way to Get Duchene to Brooklyn

As the Colorado Avalanche tumble into the trade deadline and toward the end of the season, rumors swirl surrounding two of their young players in left wing and captain Gabriel Landeskog and center/winger Matt Duchene. It’s evident that Colorado needs (or wants to) rip it down to the studs and start over. GM Joe Sakic is in no hurry to move his two young stars — they don’t have expiring contracts or anything like that. His idea, it seems, is to go as young as possible, which might mean there isn’t enough room for 26-year old Duchene and 24-year old Landeskog.

Since his name emerged in trade rumors, Duchene has been linked to the Islanders. The reported ask for Duchene is three high-end pieces, as long as one piece is a young, somewhat established defenseman. If teams are unwilling to part with current players, the ask goes up to four high-end pieces (top prospects and high draft picks).

There aren’t many teams out there that could meet Sakic’s price, but the Islanders are a team that can. Assets that have been mentioned as potential trade pieces include: defensemen Travis Hamonic and Ryan Pulock; forward prospects Mathew Barzal, Michael Dal Colle, and the recently-recalled Josh Ho-Sang; and, with a weaker draft, the Isles first-round pick is probably in play. Islanders defenseman Nick Leddy has been mentioned as a want for the Avs, but he’s almost certainly not getting moved.

Considering the situation in which the Avalanche reside, they need futures more than anything. Hamonic would be a nice pick-up — he’s a solid defenseman who has had some wonky possession numbers throughout his career but has remained a net positive, and has shown some offensive ability. And he is signed for three more seasons after this one at a modest cap hit just below $4 million. However, he is already 26, and might be too old for what Colorado is looking to accomplish. In that case, Pulock becomes the target.

Pulock is 21 years of age and has been dominating the AHL this season. He was on the Isles roster toward the end of last season and was only removed from the lineup when he took a shot to his arm during the playoffs. He was set to begin the season with the big club until they signed Dennis Seidenberg (and also to not lose J.F. Berube on waivers, ugh), when he was sent down due to his waiver-exemption. He was recalled a couple of weeks later, only to be injured in his first game back. Upon his return, he was sent to AHL Bridgeport to get back up to speed, and hasn’t been recalled since, for reasons that defy comprehension.

He has a wicked slap shot and isn’t afraid to use it, scoring 10 goals from the back end this season in only 33 games played. He also has 17 assists, giving him 27 points on the year. With the Isles last season, he posted possession numbers in the 51% range (while the team itself was well under 50%), though in an admittedly small sample. Frankly, he should be an Islander now. It wouldn’t surprise me if this is the player Sakic most covets, and might be holding out for him.

Despite his currently-in-the-AHL status, Pulock fits the mold of the established young defenseman Sakic wants, so his inclusion likely means the Islanders would (should, anyway) only have to relinquish two more pieces. Brock Nelson and Ryan Strome, both of whom are talented but have struggled with consistency, are the two forwards on the roster that Sakic would want and Isles GM Snow might actually be willing to deal. Mathew Barzal is the Islanders top prospect, and also the 2nd-best prospect not in the NHL, according to draft guru Corey Pronman. Michael Dal Colle was a top-5 pick in 2014 after lighting up the OHL, but has struggled when separated from talent. Josh Ho-Sang is an extremely talented playmaker who has been dogged by accusations of immaturity.

Ideally, the Avs want a package including Pulock and Barzal, along with one of Nelson or Strome. The Islanders, however, may not be willing to part with all of these pieces. They would (or, again, should) be willing to part with Hamonic if it meant keeping Pulock — Pulock is younger and will likely be better than Hamonic. They almost certainly wouldn’t part with Barzal in a package for Duchene. Dal Colle seems like a player they wouldn’t mind moving, and Ho-Sang probably won’t have much value around the league until he produces in the NHL, as GMs are notoriously wary with perceived “attitude” issues. (For what it’s worth, Ho-Sang seems to be more outspoken than arrogant, which is an important distinction. I’d even be willing to argue that his race plays a factor in people’s perception of his attitude.)

These factors leave us at a bit of a standstill. The Avalanche have the leverage in this negotiation — they could just hold on to Duchene and wait until the summer to deal him. If the Islanders want him now, they may have to over pay a bit. I would think (hope) that a trade of Pulock, Nelson, and Dal Colle should get it done. Another option might be Hamonic, Strome, Dal Colle, and the first-rounder. If the price is higher than that, however, the Islanders may be better off passing.