Matt Duchene linked to several teams following Preds buyout
Where will he end up?
HockeyFeed
The era of Matt Duchene is now over with the Nashville Predators, as they announced that the remaining term on his contract would be bought out. His buyout carries with it a cap hit of $2.56 million next season, $5.56 million in 2024-25, $6.56 million in 2025-26, and $1.57 million from 2026-2029.
This brings to an end his time with the Predators, with whom he inked a seven year contract on the first day of free agency in 2019. And right away, he's already been linked to a handful of clubs who could use his offensive prowess.
Take a look at the teams listed by ClutchPoints as being good potential fits for Duchene's next destination:
- Ottawa Senators: The Senators are a team that are knocking on the door of playoff contention in the Atlantic Division, and with Duchene, they could get over that hump and make the playoffs in 2023-24. It would make sense for the 32-year-old to at least consider a reunion in the Canadian capital, especially with their star power up front.
- Detroit Red Wings: Like the Ottawa Senators, the Detroit Red Wings will be knocking on the door of playoff contention in the Eastern Conference next season, and could use another top player like Duchene to get over the hump. This is another place where he could have great linemates, and would look excellent either on Dylan Larkin's wing or centering his own line in the top-six.
- Montreal Canadiens: Duchene would undoubtedly speed up the rebuild in Montreal, and GM Kent Hughes has a ton of cap space to work with and the tools to lock him up to either a short or long-term deal. The young team would also benefit from his veteran leadership next season and beyond.
- Colorado Avalanche: Although it's well-known that Matt Duchene and Colorado had a less-than-amicable split after he requested a trade out of Denver following an abysmal 48-point campaign for the team, it might be time to let bygones be bygones and reunite player and club in 2023.
- New York Islanders: The New York Islanders play a great defensive system, but they really struggle to score goals. Bo Horvat wasn't quite the answer the team thought he would be on the offensive side of the puck as the team lost in six games to the Carolina Hurricanes in the first-round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Which of these teams listed by ClutchPoints do you think would be the best fit for Duchene?
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