What Is the Beef With Matt Duchene

Matt Duchene walked into what he idea would be a terrific opportunity with the Nashville Predators and discovered that instead of a good old-fashioned family Christmas dinner, he was all of a sudden at the table with the Griswolds. It is difficult to meet high expectations when the cat is chewing an electrical cord, the burnt turkey deflates, and anybody else is reciting the Pledge of Allegiance for a approval. While it hasn't been an like shooting fish in a barrel beginning to his time in Nashville and fan patience may exist running out, is Duchene a victim of circumstance or a bust?

On July 1, 2019 Predators General Manager David Poile announced a massive eight-year, $56-meg deal for free agent center Matt Duchene. Among the things Poile said at the time:

• "Our master objective this summer was to eternalize our law-breaking, and we've done that today."
• "I don't know who out there other than [Artemi] Panarin or something could assist our power play as much every bit Matt Duchene."
• "They [Duchene and his wife] met with our coaches and specifically our head motorbus Peter Laviolette for a long time to discuss where Matt fit into our organization and where he would play."
• "Let'due south call it like it is. If we don't brand the [P.Chiliad.] Subban trade and become rid of his money it'due south going to be much more difficult to win the Duchene sweepstakes if you volition."
• "There'south zero similar competition that should go the all-time out of anybody."
• "I retrieve he creates a lot of things by himself."

With these words and that hefty cost tag, immense expectations for Matt Duchene were set.

Simply over a year and a half later, Predators fans seem divided on whether Duchene is a wasted signing or a talent wasted. When asked for a word or phrase that describes Matt Duchene on Twitter, the responses were varied and interesting.

What is information technology about Matt Duchene and his performance then far in Nashville that causes such an interesting and divided reaction? And how fair is the criticism of Duchene?

Matt Duchene was billed as a prolific playmaker, just he is struggling to score goals.

What those disappointed in Duchene express frustration with well-nigh often is his offensive production—or lack thereof. Duchene himself has used the term "snakebit" to refer to a dry spell this flavour when it appeared he couldn't even buy a goal. The Predators as a team have struggled this season to produce, ranking in the bottom third of the league in goals scored. The player fans thought they were getting in Duchene hasn't showed up big in regards to goals.

It can't be denied that Duchene has struggled to notice his shot in Nashville. Unfortunately, this is non an unusual phenomenon, as the organization has repeatedly brought in loftier-producing forwards but to meet their individual performances decline in their fourth dimension at Bridgestone.

Listening back on Poile's words when announcing the Matt Duchene deal definitely gear up expectations for offensive output, but like several forwards earlier him (Kyle Turris, Ryan Hartman, etc.), Duchene has not played his all-time hockey in Nashville. One could debate whether these acquisitions were overhyped or whether there is a development or system integration piece missing to button frontward to growth in offensive production.

Duchene was touted every bit being an answer for the Predators' struggling power play, only the power play still struggles.

In that July 1 press conference Poile was clearly using Artemi Panarin as a comparison specifically for special teams play. Panarin was coming off of an 87-bespeak flavour and had been a 70+ point histrion since entering the league in 2015. That name equalled impressive offensive production, and without advisedly listening to context, information technology reinforced the high bar for Duchene's offensive product.

Poile was correct in the sense that Duchene would contribute on special teams. In the season prior to Duchene's joining the Predators, Nashville ranked dead last in power play percent at 12.94%. In the 2019-2020 season with Duchene, the Predators crawled their way up to 17.26% power play percentage (withal below league average). Duchene tin can't have credit solitary for that slight statistical improvement, but in his first flavor in Nashville, Duchene was the second leading power-play goal scorer behind Filip Forsberg. (Coincidentally, Duchene and Panarin each scored six power-play goals in that season.)

Photo past John Russell/NHLI via Getty Images

It has become increasingly obvious since Duchene'due south signing in July 2019 that the struggles with the power play—and special teams in general—is less a personnel issue than a arrangement and execution issue. Poile believed he was attacking a vulnerable aspect of the team's game by hiring a player, when information technology appears far more probable that a modify of system (or perhaps coaching) on special teams has likely been the only viable solution all along.

Matt Duchene came to the team expecting to play under a specific coach and in a specific system.

Duchene was invested in understanding not only his office on his potential new team but also how the caput coach viewed the game. In his July 1 press conference, David Poile mentioned how much fourth dimension Duchene and one-time Caput Coach Peter Laviolette spent talking about the X's and O's prior to the signing. It appears, despite involvement from other teams, Duchene wanted to do his due diligence to be sure Nashville'due south organization would exist a proficient fit for him and vice versa.

The Predators team that Duchene joined was coming off of several successful seasons—a 2017 Stanley Loving cup Final appearance and their 2018 Presidents' Trophy season. Even with a disappointing 2018-2019 beginning round playoff loss to the Dallas Stars, there was nevertheless a belief that the core group of Predators (with a little offensive boost provided by Duchene) could compete deep into the playoffs moving forward. The previous season's early playoff exit was dismissed as an bibelot, not seen as indicative of the squad'southward general trajectory.

At the same time, there were some rumors that the team—or at least sure players—were lulled into a false sense of ability and a likewise-comfy familiarity with and then-Coach Laviolette. Despite a strong offset in Oct 2019, the Predators quickly began to flounder. There were articulate on-ice issues and signs of off-ice tension.

Although folks exterior of the locker room can merely speculate on the dynamics that contributed to the mid flavor firing of Laviolette, those dynamics and the coaching change were unforeseen, or easily dismissed, when Duchene signed.

Factored into the already loftier cost of $viii million a year was the toll of losing a strong second-pair defender.

In the July press conference GM David Poile admitted that the Subban trade was the key to freeing up the money for the hefty Duchene bargain. While it wasn't a straight one-for-ane deal, the fate of Subban and Duchene will likely ever be linked in the minds of Predators fans.

Of form, comparing the loss of Subban and the addition of Duchene is like comparison apples and oranges. With Subban gone, the open up 2nd-pairing spot was taken past young Dante Fabbro, who will need a little more time to grow into Subban-sized skates. The Predators' defense force went from 2.59 goals against/game in 2018-2019 with Subban to iii.ten goals against/game the following flavor without Subban.

Of class, Subban's trade wasn't the but contributing factor to a failing defense. The defense last flavor was also significantly afflicted by injuries and struggling goaltending—and the same continues to exist true. And then far in 2021 the Predators are at 3.44 goals against/game, which makes the need for offensive product get even more than glaring if the team is to salvage this season.

Subban'due south go out also meant the power play lost a solid correspondent, even as Poile touted Duchene equally a special teams savior. While Subban simply netted 10 power-play goals himself between 2016-2019, he was 2d on the team in ability-play assists in that same time menses. A hard and fast slapshot from the blue line on the power play has been missing since Subban left for New Jersey.

Duchene'southward deal may take gear up off a lineup and locker room pile-up Head Coach John Hynes is withal trying to sage away.

In his July 1, 2019 printing briefing, David Poile acknowledged that the Duchene signing had repercussions for Kyle Turris, an already-expensive investment Poile fabricated in November of 2017. Advertising Johansen and Duchene as a "1-two punch", Poile made it clear that Kyle Turris was going to have to compete and likely contribute in a bottom-six function.

It became obvious equally the 2019-20 flavor unfolded that then-Coach Laviolette and Turris did non run across eye to eye in regards to Turris's contributions on water ice. The tension reached a new level when Turris was healthy scratched through 7 games in Nov 2019, and the team didn't appear to notice its equilibrium from that betoken on.

Photo by John Russell/NHLI via Getty Images

Poile himself addressed his frustration with the players in Jan 2020 when he fired Laviolette and brought in John Hynes to replace him. Poile was frank when saying that firing Laviolette wasn't the decision he wanted to make, but firing a roster of underperforming players wasn't practical. How much of that internal tension was sparked past the Duchene signing and subsequent Turris turmoil is hard to say, merely what is certain is that Duchene's get-go season was not drama-complimentary.

Without scoring goals, Duchene's contributions to the team—and ultimately his talent—are left open to question.

Despite a flavour and a quarter with lower than expected points, Duchene has however been an under-the-radar playmaker in his time in Nashville. Those disappointed in Duchene often overlook the fact that he finished his showtime tumultuous season ranking third-best in points on the team, behind only Roman Josi and Filip Forsberg. Duchene was second-best in power-play goals, once again backside Forsberg. So far this season (which is proving to be nearly as tumultuous) Duchene is tied with Josi for 2nd in point totals behind, yet again, Forsberg.

Duchene is a playmaker in ways that don't show upward in the points column. Perhaps his best contribution in that regard is his power to draw penalties. The power to put your team in a position to play a man up can potentially alter outcomes of games. Unfortunately, in Nashville this hasn't been the example. Duchene's ability to draw penalties would, nether normal circumstances, be an important contribution—if the Predators had a more than constructive power play.

Photograph by Scott Audette/NHLI via Getty Images

When listening back on David Poile'southward words from July 2019, the obvious determination is that Duchene has been a bosom in Nashville. It is easy to run into how the Predators' struggles could be laid at Duchene'due south feet. Only is that a fair assessment when digging deeper?

Who along with Josi and Forsberg dragged the 2019-xx team into a play-in round if non Duchene? With numerous other players having average (or beneath-average) seasons, is Duchene's thwarting perhaps more a matter of environment? Is Duchene'southward price tag the real reason he takes and so much more heat than other players who are non producing? Could information technology exist that systems and not skills are preventing Duchene from performing better?

The argue over Matt Duchene will likely continue unless and until the team turns a corner or David Poile decides to invest in a rebuild. If a rebuild happens, so the Duchene contend volition plough to whether he is a part of a core to build around or if he is an asset to be sold. Either way, information technology'south clear Nashville hasn't been the "erstwhile-fashioned family Christmas" Duchene and fans were promised.

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Source: https://www.ontheforecheck.com/2021/2/23/22291986/what-is-the-deal-with-matt-duchene-underwhelming-nashville-predators-expectations-struggle

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