So...the Avs get the following in the Duchene deal:
D Samuel Girard (NSH)
F Vladislav Kamenev (NSH)
G Andrew "Hamburglar" Hammond (OTT)
F Shane Bowers (OTT)
Ottawa's 1st rounder in 2018 or 2019 (It's protected in the event it's a top-ten pick in 2018)
Nashville's 2nd rounder in 2018
Ottawa's 3rd rounder in 2019
Seven assets for one player. Hammond is the only one I wonder about...the Avs are in an interesting situation in that they could definitely use more goaltending depth, but because they're sharing their AHL affiliate with St. Louis (and they have the better goalie prospect in Ville Husso) I have no idea where they can even put him. I think he's a UFA after this year so...whatever. I hope they do something with him before that happens of course.
I hear Bowers is a good all-around player, which the Avs still need more of. Pics of him are ridiculous though. If I can find it I'll post one of him at the draft sitting next to Nathan MacKinnon. Dude looks like he's 12. I also understand Kamenev has a very good two-way acumen. Avs still desperately need those type of players.
Girard has had a cup of coffee in the NHL thus far and scored an awesome goal for the Preds during that time. Not very big, but very fast and good with the puck. However, this raises some questions as to what the Avs will do now that they have Tyson Barrie on the team and Cale Makar in the pipeline. That's three very talented, very fast, and very small defenders. They can't all be on the same roster...or can they?
Lastly, there's the picks. Last time the Avs had a lottery-protected pick was in 2011. Just so happens the Blues ended up with the 11th overall pick so the protection didn't apply (good thing too because it otherwise would've been a much lower pick in 2012). Unfortunately the Avs went and picks Sask's favorite defender Duncan Siemens, who has gone bust in a pretty bad way (though amazingly he's still with the organization in the AHL). Avs cannot afford to whiff on these picks like they did on that one. It's small comfort knowing the Avs fired the guy who made that pick a couple seasons ago, and the new draft guru, Alan Hepple, appears to be a lot better at his job than Rick Pracey was.
All in all I'm sad it came down to this but pleased that Sakic got a pretty massive haul in exchange for a top-tier talent. Unfortunately that one very good trade doesn't erase years of mistakes and miscues. Hope Dutchy does well in Ottawa...though if he stays relatively quiet in his next two games I'll be fine with that.