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Breaking down blockbuster Matt Duchene, Kyle Turris trade

Ottawa Senators v Washington Capitals

WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 16: Kyle Turris #7 of the Ottawa Senators looks on against the Washington Capitals at Verizon Center on December 16, 2015 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

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Wow!

It’s a three-way blockbuster trade on Sunday, with Matt Duchene and Kyle Turris involved, and the Colorado Avalanche, Ottawa Senators and Nashville Predators making a massive move after days of growing anticipation.

Per the reports that are flooding in, Matt Duchene is going to the Ottawa Senators. After making it to the Eastern Conference Final during the 2017 playoffs, the Senators are off to a good start once again and it certainly helps having their star defenseman Erik Karlsson back healthy.

In Duchene, the Senators add a talented offensive threat to their lineup, which could certainly bolster their standing as a potential contender in the East. They will have this year plus another remaining on his contract with a $6 million cap hit. They should also receive a player highly motivated to turn the page on the last few months and years of his career in Colorado. For months, there was trade talk involving Duchene as the years of losing and misery began to pile up for the Avalanche and the third overall pick from 2009.

Kyle Turris is reportedly on his way to Nashville. According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, Turris, at the end of a five-year, $17.5 million contract and a pending unrestricted free agent, was in the process of signing a six-year, $36 million contract extension with the Predators, which would keep him off the open market this summer.

Falling two wins short of a Stanley Cup in June, the Predators boast a formidable top-three group on the blue line, though they’re missing Ryan Ellis after news broke in September that he could miss four to six months following offseason surgery. This deal gives them another top center in addition to Ryan Johansen, as they look to climb the Western Conference standings and get back into the position of being a championship contender. Johansen is right now struggling without a goal on the season and only seven points in 14 games so far.

Nashville has a 7-5-2 record and 16 points -- the same amount as the San Jose Sharks, Vancouver Canucks, Avalanche, Dallas Stars and Chicago Blackhawks.

And finally, to the Avalanche. This has been a decent start to the season for them after the disaster of 2016-17, although today’s game against the Islanders certainly isn’t going their way. In moving Duchene, the return from Nashville and Ottawa is a healthy set of prospects and draft picks.

So, here we go, from the Avalanche:

The Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club announced today that the club has acquired defenseman Samuel Girard, forward Vladislav Kamenev and a second-round pick in the 2018 NHL Draft from the Nashville Predators, as well as forward Shane Bowers, goaltender Andrew Hammond, a first-round selection in the 2018 NHL Draft and a third-round pick in 2019 from the Ottawa Senators.

That would, in all likelihood, give the Avalanche two first-round picks and two second-round picks in 2018, and five selections in the opening three rounds.

This is significant for both the Predators and Senators. Both teams made it to the 2017 conference championship series and, after the price they paid today to land key centers for their respective lineups, it appears they’re both intent on trying to make lengthy runs at the Stanley Cup again next spring.

MORE: Turris on Ottawa contract talks: ‘very apparent things weren’t going to work out’

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Cam Tucker is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @CamTucker_Sport.