Blue Jackets acquire Matt Duchene and Julius Bergman from Senators

February 22, 2019

Source: Columbus Blue Jackets

by BlueJackets.com Staff @BlueJacketsNHL / BlueJackets.com

The Columbus Blue Jackets have acquired All-Star center Matt Duchene and defenseman Julius Bergman from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for conditional first round picks in the 2019 and 2020 NHL Drafts, right wing Vitaly Abramov and right wing Jonathan Davidsson, club General Manager Jarmo Kekalainen announced today. The 2019 NHL first round pick is top-three lottery pick protected, while the 2020 first round selection will be transferred if Duchene re-signs with the club.

“Matt Duchene is an elite player in the National Hockey League and we are extremely excited to bring him to Columbus,” said Kekalainen. “He is a tremendous skater, exceptional in the face-off circle and a proven goal scorer and point producer in our league. We believe he is a tremendous fit for our team.”

Duchene, 28, was the third overall pick in the 2009 NHL Draft and has recorded 228 goals and 307 assists for 535 points with 164 penalty minutes, 52 power play goals, 32 game-winning goals. He has also won 53.0 pct. of his face-offs in 704 career NHL games with the Senators and Colorado Avalanche. He has appeared in a pair of All-Star Games (2011, 2016) and posted six campaigns of 50-plus points and seven seasons of 20-plus goals in his career.

The Haliburton, Ontario native has tallied 27-31-58, six penalty minutes, five power play goals and has won 55.1 pct. of his face-offs, while logging 19:14 of ice time in 50 games in 2018-19. He is tied for the club lead in power play goals and ranks second in goals and points. He has collected 50-57-107, 20 penalty minutes, 13 power play goals, three game-winning tallies and won 53.5 pct. of his face-offs in 118 contests with the Senators since being acquired from the Avalanche on Nov. 5, 2017.

The 5-11, 195-pound center spent his first eight NHL seasons with the Avalanche, notching 178-250-428, 144 penalty minutes, 39 power play goals, 29 game-winning goals and winning 52.8 pct. of his face-offs in 586 games. He set a career high in goals with 30-29-59 in 76 appearances in 2015-16 and career highs in assists and points with 23-47-70 in 71 outings in 2013-14. He made his NHL debut in 2009-10 and led all rookies in goals (tied-John Tavares, NY Islanders) and points with 24-31-55 and 16 PIM in 81 games. He was a finalist for the Calder Memorial Trophy as NHL rookie of the year and earned All-Rookie Team honors.

On the international stage, Duchene has won gold medals for Canada at the World Cup of Hockey 2016, 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, as well as the 2015 and 2016 IIHF World Championships. He also helped Canada capture a silver medal at the 2017 IIHF World Championships. Prior to joining the Avalanche, he played two seasons with the Ontario Hockey League’s Brampton Battalion and racked up 61-68-129 and 64 penalty minutes in 121 games from 2007-09.

Bergman, 23, has tallied 16-51-67 and 151 penalty minutes in 223 career AHL games with the Belleville Senators, San Jose Barracuda and Worcester Sharks since making his North American pro debut in 2014-15. This season, he has collected 0-6-6 and 12 penalty minutes in 33 games with Belleville. He set career highs in goals and points with 10-10-20 and 57 penalty minutes with the Barracuda in 2017-18.

The 6-1, 205-pound native of Stockholm, Sweden was originally selected by the Sharks in the second round, 46th overall, in the 2014 NHL Draft.   He notched 13-29-42 and 78 penalty minutes in 60 games with the OHL’s London Knights in 2014-15. Internationally, Bergman represented Sweden at the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championships and 2013 IIHF World U18 Championships.

Abramov, was selected by Columbus in the third round, 65th overall, in the 2016 NHL Draft. The Chelyabinsk, Russia native has notched 12-10-22 and 28 penalty minutes in 52 games with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters this season. He recorded 129-172-301, 179 penalty minutes and was +101 in 185 career games with Gatineau and Victoriaville in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League from 2015-18. Davidsson, was the Jackets’ sixth round pick, 170th overall, in the 2017 NHL Draft. He has posted 10-10-20 and 16 penalty minutes in 35 contests with Djurgardens IF in the Swedish Hockey League in 2018-19. The Tyreso, Sweden native has totaled 23-40-63 and 46 penalty minutes in 143 career SHL games since making his debut in 2015-16.