The Colorado Avalanche has a proud tradition in Denver. That almost sounds funny to say considering they are the transplanted Quebec Nordiques. However, when the team was moved from Canada to the Rocky Mountains, they immediately won the Stanley Cup. Insult to injury?! Just a little bit.

Through no fault of their own, the transplanted Nordiques/Avalanche franchise had: the fortuitous timing of Joe Sakic reaching his peak, Eric Lindros’ refusal to play there forcing the Peter Forsberg trade, Patrick Roy forcing his way out of Montreal and some excellent personnel moves that built one of the most complete rosters from the mid 1990’s well into the next decade.

However, all good things come to an end, and the Avalanche crashed pretty hard when Sakic decided to hang up the skates. The next generation of Colorado stars had barely hit the ice before they became aware of the legacy that would burden them.

Sakic’s last season in Denver was an aberration. Injuries limited the legendary captain to only 15 games and 12 points. The Avalanche finished last in the Northwest Division and ended up with the highest draft pick in franchise history. With the third overall pick in the 2009 draft, the Avalanche selected Matt Duchene.

From the start Duchene showed the potential and talent that Colorado had been hoping for. Though he couldn’t have been expected to fill the shoes of another center with the exact same build, Duchene had a fantastic rookie season. He finished third on the team in scoring with 55 points, tops among NHL rookies. Duchene would finish third in Calder Trophy (Rookie of the Year) voting.

The next two seasons for Duchene were a story in contrasts for both team and player. During his sophomore season, Duchene would continue his scoring explosion, leading Colorado in scoring, but the team struggled, missing the playoffs. Last season, while Duchene battled injuries, his scoring dipped considerably. While the Avalanche as a team performed better collectively, they missed the playoffs for the third time in the past four years.

When the next NHL season kicks off, Duchene will look to restore some of the luster that was lost in his third season. The Avalanche have a young, but very talented roster with designs on the playoffs.

Look for Matt Duchene to get back to his high scoring ways as he looks to begin a new legacy in Denver. Nobody will ever forget the glory years and Stanley Cups, but Matt Duchene and the next generation of stars look primed to add to the Colorado trophy mantle.