The Ottawa Senators believe Kyle Turris didn't have a long-term future in the Canadian capital.
After trading the forward on Sunday in a three-team deal that brought former Colorado Avalanche center Matt Duchene to Ottawa, Senators general manager Pierre Dorion said his team felt it wouldn't be able to sign Turris to an extension.
"At the end of the day, we just felt a contract wasn't going to get done with Kyle, so why not try to maximize that asset for someone we know we have for at least one more year?" Dorion told TSN 1200 on Monday.
Turris was shipped to Nashville as part of the trade, where he subsequently agreed to a six-year, $36-million deal with the Predators.
At a Monday press conference, Dorion added that a six-year deal was never presented as an option for Turris with the Senators, and that the player's camp was insistent on a seven- or eight-year extension, per TSN's Pierre LeBrun.
Meanwhile, Duchene is signed through the 2018-19 season.
Turris recorded nine points in 11 games with Ottawa this season, while Duchene tallied 10 points in 14 contests for Colorado.
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