Ryan O'Reilly C COL Nov 29 '781 Comment

Matt Duchene said he wouldn't have done things the same way as restricted free agent Ryan O'Reilly.

That's not hard to believe, considering Duchene inked the same two-year/$7 million deal that O'Reilly has reportedly refused. Duchene said that he would love a long-term contract, but he has to earn it and he recognizes that his struggles last season opened the door to some questions he has to answer in 2013. At the same time, Duchene isn't hostile towards O'Reilly's decision. "With him, I don't know what the conversations are between him and the team, and I don't know what they are between him and his agent," Duchene said. "But at the end of the day, he's a pro, he's a guy who's looking for something. You have to respect that. It's a business."


GreenbayGumby Nov 29 '78

Different strokes, for different folks. Reilly and his agent knows, there is ALWAYS another team out there that will pay him. So the Avalanche should just pay the man now, and deal him away later if they have that big an issue with his request.