The Senators acquired centre Matt Duchene from the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday in a three-team deal that involved Ottawa also dealing forward Kyle Turris to the Nashville Predators.
Colorado will receive prospects Samuel Girard, Vladislav Kamenev and a 2018 second-round draft pick from Nashville along with forward Shane Bowers, goaltender Andrew Hammond, a 2018 first-round pick and 2019 third-round selection from Ottawa.
“It’s bittersweet for sure, but I’m excited for a new opportunity in Ottawa,” Duchene said as he left Barclays Center in Brooklyn. “[The Senators] have a team that can win a Stanley Cup. I’m really excited to go there and just nothing but a pleasure to have played here for Colorado.”
Duchene had been rumoured in trade talks for several months and had reportedly been dealt to Ottawa on Friday night before that transaction fell through. He’s signed through 2018-19 at a salary-cap hit of $ 6 million US.
The 26-year-old from Haliburton, Ont., left the Avalanche’s game Sunday night at the New York Islanders midway through the first period.
“I kind of knew before they told me,” Duchene said. “I saw them talking on the bench. It’s very strange, but I kind of half-expected it to be the weirdest way possible. It’s one of those things — it’s a business and I’ll have good story for people one day.”
Set to play Friday in Stockholm
Duchene, who has four goals and six assists in 13 games this season, will play his first game with the Senators on Friday against the Avalanche in Stockholm.
The five foot 11, 195 pounder has an impressive international resume that includes Olympic gold in 2014 with Canada along with winning the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, two world championships in 2015 and ’16 and an under-18 worlds in 2008.
Turris, who was set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, immediately signed a six-year, $ 36 million contract extension upon being traded to Nashville.
The 28-year-old has three goals and six assists through 11 games this year for the Senators and added 10 points in 19 playoff games last season as Ottawa reached the Eastern Conference final.
“Kyle is one of the best two-way centres in the National Hockey League,” Nashville general manager David Poile said in a statement. “He should be a great fit in our locker-room and will bolster our lineup and give us the depth that’s necessary during the regular season and the playoffs.
Can play in all situations
“He is someone who can play in all situations and will help us tremendously on both ends of the ice. He will give our coaching staff a number of options in terms of offensive production and defensive responsibilities.”
Girard, 19, has one goal and two assists in five games with the Predators this season. The defenceman from Roberval, Que., recorded 192 points in 190 career games with the Shawnigan Cataractes of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and was the league’s defenceman of the year in 2015-16.
Kamenev, 21, has eight points in 10 games with the American Hockey League’s Milwaukee Admirals this season.
Bowers, 18, was Ottawa’s 28th overall selection at the 2017 NHL draft and is a freshman at Boston University this season. The Halifax native spent the last two seasons with the Waterloo Black Hawks of the United States Hockey League, where he had 84 points in 116 games.
The 29-year-old Hammond has spent this season with Ottawa’s minor-league affiliate in Belleville but has previously bounced between both the NHL and AHL.
