Dark days ahead as Landy lands the “C”
“Duchene may have been the future choice to wear the “C” when he was drafted, but his inconsistent play and trade friendly contract make for delicious possibilities on the open market.”
With the announcement that Gabriel Landeskog would become the next captain of the Colorado Avalanche, it seemed that team management really did the fans a solid: while securing a talented young player for years to come, they simultaneously assured everyone it was now okay to go buy his jersey. Additionally, the fear of Landy being traded this spring or any spring, now seems like an impossibility. Awarding the captaincy to the youngest player in history was a fantastic move, not only for the team but for the general morale of the fan base. With the spotty last few seasons and a looming lockout, fans needed a boost and the Landeskog news did just that. But while that should sit well with the fans, what shouldn’t sit well is that the future may not be so secure with a couple of other players the fans may not want to see go.
The Ryan O’Reilly situation hasn’t been resolved or even mentioned lately and this potential contractual morass should have Avs fans seriously concerned. O’Reilly would have been the natural choice to wear the “C” but his contract situation obviously made that impossible. And with the Avs organization being notoriously prickly toward disgruntled employees, it probably won’t end well. And it’s too bad because O’Reilly is the kind of player every team wants: a hard working, born leader who’s done nothing but improve and contribute in his three seasons. O’Reilly is not only a fan favorite, but led the team in scoring last season and is a key piece to the Avs resurgence. Maybe it’s due to lockout shenanigans but Landeskog’s promotion is either O’Reilly’s death knell with the team or a shot across his agent’s bow to get a deal done.
Matt Duchene on the other hand never seemed like the captain material O’Reilly seems to be. And while Duchene’s recent two year, seven million dollar contract extension may seem on the surface like he too is being groomed for the long haul here in Denver, Landeskog’s coronation has really put the “make an offer” sign around Duchene’s neck. Duchene, a former first round pick, has had flashes of being the player worthy of his draft position, but after a mediocre third season marred by injury, Duchene will be trade bait if he under-performs again. This won’t be the worst thing in the world, and the Avs may be able to haul in some key pieces in a trade to really push them over the top. Duchene may have been the future choice to wear the “C” when he was drafted, but his inconsistent play and trade friendly contract make for delicious possibilities on the open market.
Landeskog had a great rookie season so even though it’s a little surprising he became captain this quickly, fans have to be pleased with the move. But it also brings dark tidings for popular players who fans would like to see stick around. And while awarding the “C” would make a little more sense if we were actually sure there was going to be a season, the news is still well received. The team needed this and more importantly, the fans needed this. But what both don’t want is what this news actually signals: the possible departure of Ryan O’Reilly and Matt Duchene.
