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Matt Duchene was the Avalanche's best player this season. Yes, Nathan MacKinnon rocked it, but the playoffs showed all too plainly that without Duchene, the team lost something. While the boys were able to win without him to ensure the division title, Dutchy's defensive ability--which became something to behold this season with how strong he was on the puck and how aggressive along the boards--was needed in the post-season. Then you consider his offensive capabilities, and it's easy to see how important he was to his team.
Regular Season
Stats
| GP | G | A | P | +/- | PIM | PP | SH | GW | S | S% |
| 71 | 23 | 47 | 70 | 8 | 19 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 217 | 10.6 |
Advanced Stats 5 v. 5
| CF% | CF% Rel | GF% | GF% Rel | Sh% | Sv% | PDO |
| 49.30% | 3.50% | 50.50% | -3.10% | 9.40% | 90.70% | 100.1 |
Grade
A
Staff Comments
SteveHouse: Dutchy may not be the goal scorer we'd like him to be, but good lord can he make things happen for his line. 70 points? Gold star for you.
c6hor8: He was superb and rose to the level of elite centers in the league.
Sandie: Strong and only getting stronger... plus taking a Webber slapshot and going back in the game? Tough.
Mike: I feel like I was watching a guy who has 10 years under his belt. Led the team in points with 10 fewer games than the next three guys on the list. 100% Legit. 16th in league for points, 1th for GWG.
Cheryl: Of course I had high expectations of Duchene, but I always thought he was going to be an excellent center in the NHL. This season, I realized he's going to be in conversations to the likes of Malkin, Crosby, Stamkos. He's insanely good, and he's only going to get better. Add in his absolute dedication to the organization, a willingness to take far less than he's worth to play for the team, and committing fully to that Imagine Dragons video, and well, what's not to love?
Playoffs
Stats
| GP | G | A | P | +/- | PIM | PP | SH | GW | S | S% |
| 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | -1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Advanced Stats
| CF% | CF% Rel | GF% | GF% Rel | Sh% | Sv% | PDO |
| 37.90% | -5.90% | 50.00% | 25.00% | 11.10% | 92.90% | 104 |
Grade
A-
Staff Comments
SteveHouse: couldn't have asked for much more out of Matt except maybe not to knock knees with Jamie mcginn but eh even light can't break that gravitational field
c6hor8: Limited to two games and I think this series ends differently if he's healthy.
Mike: The team really missed him. More than Barrie, IMO. His absence turned the team into a one-trick pony. His two games were good, not great as it was obvious he still wasn't in game shape.
Andi: Three assists in two games while playing on a still-busted knee? That's not too shabby at all. I expected Duchene to be a series breaker for us, and he almost was. Our power play turned around almost instantly when he returned to the ice. If he had been healthy, this series probably would have gone much differently. As it is, he was still one of the bright spots in Games 6 and 7.
Cheryl: Duchene plays all 7 games and there wouldn't have been 7 games. Avs in 5. Bank on it.
Preseason Thoughts
Andi: I also really liked seeing Duchene on the PK. His speed made a huge difference, and it gave him more ice-time to get his legs into it every night.
Predictions:
Andi: Leading Scorer: Duchene, 30 G / 50 A / 80pts
Cole: Leading Scorer: Matt Duchene 60-70 points and finally, FINALLY 30 goals; Game Changer: Game Changer: Matt Duchene
Mike: I see Duchene as the leader in the goalz category with Pappy holding down the points lead. . . I think the team will lean on Duchene heavily to be the game changer . . .
Earl: Leading Scorer: Duchene
Cheryl: Leading Scorer: Matt Duchene