With Kevin Shattenkirk joining the Capitals, the trade deadline’s biggest targets were Colorado forwards Gabriel Landeskog and Matt Duchene. Once the deadline passed, both remained members of the Avalanche.
Both seemed relieved to get beyond the speculation ... at least for now.
“I’m glad it’s over. It’s nice to be able to move on,” Duchene said. “I owe it to this team to be present, mind and body.”
It sounds like Landeskog is glad he can still be this team’s captain.
"I want to be here...
— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) March 2, 2017
Now we can go out and focus on trying to get better as a team and preparing for next year." https://t.co/p8paCDdyW1
Of course, for some, the lack of movement merely means that the questions transition from the trade deadline to the off-season.
With Duchene at 26 and Landeskog at 24, it’s conceivable that the Avalanche may decide that they want those two forwards to remain core guys after months of reflection. It’s plausible to picture a rebuild working well with one or both of them still in the fold.
Even so, their ages and abilities make them desirable trade targets, and as insider Bob McKenzie discusses in the video above this post’s headline, the market is likely to be larger for each player during the summer.
So maybe neither guy should get too comfortable.