Tip of the Tower
Fansided

Leafs: 4 Reasons Matt Duchene is an Ideal Trade Target

By David Morassutti

Dec 20, 2016; Saint Paul, MN, USA; Colorado Avalanche forward Matt Duchene (9) against the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center. The Wild defeated the Avalanche 2-0. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 20, 2016; Saint Paul, MN, USA; Colorado Avalanche forward Matt Duchene (9) against the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center. The Wild defeated the Avalanche 2-0. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 5
Next
Leafs
Sep 10, 2016; Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Team Canada forward John Tavares (20) is congratulated by forward Matt Duchene (9) for his goal scored against Team USA during a World Cup of Hockey pre-tournament game at the Canadian Tire Centre. Team Canada defeated the USA by a score of 5-2. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports /

3) Cheaper Option over John Tavares

John Tavares is likely not leaving the New York Islanders. As such, if the Leafs can trade for Duchene it would be a solid backup plan and a cheaper one.

More from Tip of the Tower

With a $6-million cap hit until 2019, Duchene would give the Leafs good production while not hampering their ability to add to the team. By comparison, Tavares would likely want a contract in the $9-million range which is a lot to spend, although that is what the market will likely dictate.

When Tavares was selected first overall in 2009, Duchene was drafted third overall and both stand first and second among the class of 2009 in scoring. Tavares has produced at 0.92 points-per- game, while Duchene is behind him at 0.75 points-per-game.

While Tavares is the better player, the gap is not big when it comes to their production. Tavares is an elite player, but Duchene is not far off and it would be better to save the extra money and put it somewhere that desperately needs it.

Home/Toronto Maple Leafs