"He's under contract and I expect him to be here on the 14th," Sakic said. "He doesn't have to be here 'til the 14th. Not everybody always comes to camp early. It's not for me to [say], but I assume on the 14th, he'll be here."
Duchene, 26, has two years remaining on his contract at an average annual value of $6 million, according to CapFriendly.com, before he can become an unrestricted free agent. He did not attend pre-training camp practices with most of his Avalanche teammates and has reportedly been the subject of trade rumors.
"Well, I don't have to worry about that right now," Sakic said on if Duchene refuses to report. "Training camp is Thursday. There's nothing to think about right now.
"Training camp isn't until the 14th and we expect everyone that's signed to be there, like every other year."
Duchene, chosen by the Avalanche with the No. 3 pick in the 2009 NHL Draft, had 41 points (18 goals, 23 assists) and was an NHL career-worst minus-34 in 77 games last season. He had one goal in 21 games from Feb. 21-April 2, and 12 points in his final 36 games of the season.
