Matt Duchene is in Denver

Matt Duchene, BSN Denver can state with certainty, is in Denver. On the day the Avalanche’s veterans are to report for training camp, this fact highly suggests he will report to the team.

At press time, it still remains to be seen whether Duchene actually reports to the Pepsi Center along with the rest of Avalanche veterans and other camp invitees. Duchene, who has been on the trade block for quite some time, hadn’t been in town for recent team events such as a charity golf outing and informal practices. For the past several days, he had been in the Toronto area.

(Update: Duchene has, indeed, reported to the Pepsi Center and is with the Avalanche this morning).

It figures to be weird around the Avs’ dressing room, with a player who had expected to have been traded by now, occupying his regular stall again. For how long that happens, only general manager Joe Sakic knows. But as of yet, no proposed trades for the Canadian Olympic gold medalist and NHL All Star have met to his satisfaction.

So, until told otherwise, Duchene must soldier on as an Av. He has two years left on his contract, with a $6 million cap hit. The Avs want a young, top-4 defenseman, and maybe more, for him in trade.

Can this still have a happy ending, if this becomes a protracted, forced reconciliation? The odds would seem against it.

But stranger things have happened.

(BSN Denver’s Jesse Montano contributed to this report)