Sakic: Duchene trade market 'quiet on all fronts'

Where oh where will Matt Duchene ever end up?

The Colorado Avalanche forward has been at the center of trade talks for what seems like an eternity in hockey circles, but after surviving the trade deadline and the initial rush of summer madness, Duchene is inching toward another training camp in Denver - a scenario general manager Joe Sakic is content with.

"I will be listening to offers. Right now it's quiet on all fronts," Sakic told Mike Chambers of The Denver Post. "But I'll listen to offers on how we can get better. I'll never name names but I'll sit there and if something makes sense for the way we want to go, with our team, we'll really look at that."

The Avalanche posted a dreadful 48-point campaign in 2016-17, and because of their futility, it was expected Duchene would be the first cast off to ignite an organizational rebuild. It's yet to happen, and it appears Sakic will maintain his patient approach to maximize the potential return for the 26-year-old sniper.

Since registering a career-high 70 points in 2013-14, Duchene hasn't matched that level of productivity, and only mustered 18 goals and 23 assists a season ago. Still, he remains an incredibly talented, affordable player, and if the Avalanche are - somehow - unable to significantly improve on one of the worst seasons in NHL history, his name will only continue to be brought up in trade rumors.

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