Matt Duchene, the 18 year old center that was taken 3rd overall in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, will be on the Colorado Avalanche’s opening day roster. The Avs made their final cuts today and
unlike the Toronto Maple Leafs chose not to return their first round pick to the OHL. The expectations from fans and media in Denver are much less than what Toronto expects of the Leafs and Duchene may be able to fly under the radar while adjusting to the NHL game. Duchene still has 9 regular season games to show that he belongs in the big league. After 9 regular season games Duchene will be considered a pro for contract purposes and would not be sent back to junior. If Duchene can stick on the Avs roster after 9 games, he will likely be centering the Avs second line and will receive a fair share of powerplay time. If he can’t be effective in a top 6 role Duchene will likely be returned to Brampton within the 9 game timeframe. If you are in a keeper league you may want to grab this guy now while you can.
