Matt Duchene, among others, is unequivocally on the trade block, as the downtrodden Avalanche attempts to forfeit some offensive assets to rebuild its defense. The big trade might come before the March 1 trade deadline, during the off-season or never — it’s very possible the valuable center and leading goal-scorer remains with the team.
The thought of moving forward without Duchene was rampant Monday, when he was a last-minute scratch before the Avs hosted the San Jose Sharks at the Pepsi Center. A team spokesman said Duchene was sick, and that he worsened after arriving at the arena around 4:30 p.