The "Panic about Matt Duchene" thread

[wondeROY]

Hilarious, I can't believe some people actually doubted him, clueless. lol

 

[Ceremony]

maybe try and go after a guy like parentaeu

Such prescience!

 

[Avs]

Should've traded him while we had a chance, no his value is too low

 

[tigervixxxen]

This thread was a tough read. I know hindsight and all that. But I hope MacKinnon never has to go through this.

Some interesting comments. Someone called Duchene needing a psychologist, I guess that worked out. Also a lot of comments about its not coaching. I get the point that Duchene needed to improve his hockey sense and he obviously started turning the corner last season but Sacco was clearly dragging all their potential down.

One last thought on the "old" Duchene. I was watching the pre game warm up at one game in 2012 and Duchene was on a mission to get a puck in the net and he just couldn't get it. He was the last person on the ice and kept shooting to the point where it was an open net and still missed his last shot and just dropped his head as he skated off. It was just so indicitive of his year then. In the past he would have beat himself up for missing on that breakaway last night but he just kept at it making play after play. I'm so glad Duchene is an Av for a long time.

 

[Qurpiz]

Was kinda relieved I had no posts in this thread. Not to say "ha ha I always knew he'd turn it around", but more like "good thing I didn't jump the ship."

Lock him up to a 10 year extension for all I care. He is the Avs now. And you couldn't ask for a better guy to be that.

 

[bohlmeister]

Should I get a White or Red Duchene jersey?

 

[Gigantor The Goalie]

Should I get a White or Red Duchene jersey?

Get a 2010 Jersey and put his name on it because I still can't believe how bad those jersey's are

 

[bohlmeister]

Get a 2010 Jersey and put his name on it because I still can't believe how bad those jersey's are

I like the red and whites. Hate the black.

 

[AvsRobin]

The black one looks like a beer can.

 

[UncleRisto]

I hate the armbands. But I like the Summit Series feel.

 

[Alex Jones]

Hilarious, I can't believe some people actually doubted him, clueless. lol

Most of the criticisms at the time were correct. He has clearly taken great steps in rectifying those problems.

 

[Alex Jones]

And JVR is still a beast.

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

Without re-reading the thread because it's pointless re-arguing two year old stuff, I recall many who wanted to try him on the wing wanting to do it mostly as a temporary thing to break him out of the slump he had as a center and not as a permanent move.

This thread should probably be locked. We should have enough things to talk about without talking about what we talked about two years ago.

Some wanted him as a winger permanently or completely off the team.

It's fun to look at, it should never be locked.

And JVR is still a beast.

And still worlds away from Duchene.

 

[Alex Jones]

Some wanted him as a winger permanently or completely off the team.

It's fun to look at, it should never be locked.


And still worlds away from Duchene.

I won't say JVR will put up more points than Duchene this year, but he will be a top five winger in the NHL sooner or later.

I'll give my thoughts on the Duchene situation.

My complaint with Duchene was never that he was dumb or lacked hockey IQ, it's that he had a poor style of play. I still stand by the comments I made in this thread before.

The majority of the success of Duchene his first couple of years came because the Avs were playing fast-break counter-attack hockey that really suits Duchenes skillset. It always has and he has always been outstanding at it. (This is also happening a lot this year)

That third year was when Sacco really jumped the shark and the Avs started playing 100% dump and chase garbage, which did not suit Duchene at all. He wasn't driving the net, he wasn't playing the centre lane, and he wasn't looking to make the sacrifices needed in the NHL. His spin move, which frustrated people to no end was him just spinning himself away from contact into the middle of nowhere.

He has rebuilt his playstyle in the zone so that he is attacking the net, not running away from it. I think I listed out in this thread at one time what I wanted to see from him, and I think he has done virtually all of it.

 

[Foppa Frossa]

Please just lock this thread

 

[jaems]

Most of the criticisms at the time were correct. He has clearly taken great steps in rectifying those problems.

Yep. Sure, the talks of trading him were ridiculous, but I don't know how anyone could look back at some of the feedback and disagree, especially two years ago.

 

[Mant*]

Get a 2010 Jersey and put his name on it because I still can't believe how bad those jersey's are

They look like beer labels.

 

[Freudian]

They look like beer labels.

Liquor candy wrappers.

 

[billybobjoe2112]

I'd buy all 3 jerseys and get Duchene on them if he makes the team. If he doesn't make the team then I won't buy any jerseys this year.

 

[AvsFanJosh]

those jerseys are baadd

 

[TheStranger]

Yep. Sure, the talks of trading him were ridiculous, but I don't know how anyone could look back at some of the feedback and disagree, especially two years ago.

Because very few people were dumb enough to think that was all he would ever be? Anyone who looked at Duchene then and said "Yep, he's never going to be a decent NHL player" should have been kicked in the throat.

 

[c0rn1]

I won't say JVR will put up more points than Duchene this year, but he will be a top five winger in the NHL sooner or later.

I am sorry but I have to disagree. For that to happen you have to remove Ovechkins' legs, cut off the hands of Kessel, blind Taylor Hall, shoot Perry and have Patrick Kane jailed for DUI or driving too fast.
And even then there's a good list before he can be considered a #5 winger in the NHL.
Bobby Ryan, Alex Semin, Daniel Sedin, Zetterberg, Evander Kane, Zach Parise ...

 

[jaems]

I am sorry but I have to disagree. For that to happen you have to remove Ovechkins' legs, cut off the hands of Kessel, blind Taylor Hall, shoot Perry and have Patrick Kane jailed for DUI or driving too fast.
And even then there's a good list before he can be considered a #5 winger in the NHL.
Bobby Ryan, Alex Semin, Daniel Sedin, Zetterberg, Evander Kane, Zach Parise ...

Top five is definitely cutting it close. Top ten though? Possibly. Kessel owes a lot of his goals this year to some slick setups from JVR.

 

[Foppa2118]

Should I get a White or Red Duchene jersey?

Wow that black one looks horrid. Who the hell thought that was a good design? Why do international jerseys get worse and worse? The american ones looks like they have a bunch of stains and dandruff all over their shoulders.

 

[Gigantor The Goalie]

Wow that black one looks horrid. Who the hell thought that was a good design? Why do international jerseys get worse and worse? The american ones looks like they have a bunch of stains and dandruff all over their shoulders.

Nike