Matt Duchene was very honest about why he didn't want to sign a long-term deal with the Sens

BarDown Staff

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Matt Duchene didn't have to travel far when he was dealt to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Once the trade went down, he brought his stuff from the Sens' locker room to the Blue Jackets locker room as the two teams face each other Friday night in Ottawa.

Before the game, though, Duchene spoke to the media about the trade and what ultimately led to him letting the Senators know he wouldn't sign a long-term deal with them.

Matt Duchene: "Obviously things happen and things change....At the end of the day, it came down to being a hockey decision for me. I just felt at 28 years old....during the season, it was a huge thing to commit to something where there are a lot of question marks."
— Ian Mendes (@ian_mendes) February 22, 2019

Matt Duchene: "I gave them some good notice. I said from day one this wasn't a money decision. I think they have a great plan, but it's one of those ones that's going to take a lot of time."
— Ian Mendes (@ian_mendes) February 22, 2019

Whether you're a fan of Duchene or not, you have to appreciate his honesty about his mindset throughout this process. Ottawa is in a better place as far as building towards the future, too, after the trade which is good news for Sens fans.

The question now is will there be more deals coming before Monday's deadline because that's a VERY real possibility, especially if the Sens can't convince Mark Stone or Ryan Dzingel to sign a deal.

Sens GM Pierre Dorion: "We're still working on convincing a few others to stay, however we have to be prepared for every scenario."
— Ian Mendes (@ian_mendes) February 22, 2019

(H/T: Ian Mendes)