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After the week that was, it’s time for the Ottawa Senators to seriously consider joining the Matt Duchene sweepstakes.

In one sense, it was a great run for the Senators, picking up seven of eight points last week, gaining considerable ground on every team they’re fighting with to secure a playoff spot.

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From another perspective, it was an awful stretch, losing considerable skill and a loud dressing room voice when Clarke MacArthur wasn’t cleared to return for the rest of the season because of lingering post-concussion symptoms.

Yet when you add those two factors together — and let’s throw in captain Erik Karlsson’s long-term future, for good measure — it makes sense for general manager Pierre Dorion to take a hard look at trading for Duchene before the March 1 trade deadline.

The 26-year-old centre/left winger is heading into his peak hockey years with two more seasons remaining on his current contract. Duchene will make $6 million next season and $6.5 million in 2018-19, with a salary-cap hit of $6 million. He has topped 20 goals and 55 points in his past three seasons and is on target to hit the 25 and 50 marks this time around.