Speculation: 2023-24 Free Agency/Trade Thread

[HanSolo]

He is the one that says Z isnt a PV player. My respect for him is zero. He is just a blogger with no connections. I wouldn't respect his opinion any more then any other youtuber or podcaster or HF poster.

I respect Stephens more than that DucksGamedayBreakdown dipshit.

 

[Gliff]

I respect Stephens more than that DucksGamedayBreakdown dipshit.

Ya I prefer gas station nachos to dog shit, that doesnt make the nachos appealing lol.

On a serious note, that guy is crazy.

 

[HanSolo]

Ya I prefer gas station nachos to dog shit, that doesnt make the nachos appealing lol.

On a serious note, that guy is crazy.

More towards your last sentence, but agreed with the principle.

 

[Ducks DVM]

Also, while I agree Farabee + late 1st is a light return for Zegras, I don't think it's absurd. Farabee is having a very good season that is projected to be on par with Zegras the last two years. He won't quite get to Zegras' point totals, but he's not far off, and he's providing some solid defensive value that Zegras hasn't shown yet for a full year.

I think most of the objection to the deal is about two things: 1) Zegras is incredibly fun to watch, which has value above what he's actually producing on the ice; and 2) as Ducks fans, we hope and expect Zegras to get better and more complete, which would vault his value well above Farabee's, whom we have no similar expectations for. I think the former is a legitimate consideration, especially for a Ducks franchise that has been devoid of entertainment value for the better part of a decade. But I think the latter is probably us overvaluing our guy and undervaluing theirs a little bit.

I wouldn't be happy with Farabee + 1st for Zegras, but I think it's in the ballpark of what we could expect. Ultimately, like most others, I hope we hang on to Trevor and see what he can do when he's been surrounded with more talent.

It’s a ridiculous return because there’s zero need to trade him. This is a forced trade type of return, not a “knock my socks off and convince me to trade him” type return, which is what required when the GM is taking calls, not making calls. He won’t be traded for “fair trade value” at this point.

 

[JAHV]

It’s a ridiculous return because there’s zero need to trade him. This is a forced trade type of return, not a “knock my socks off and convince me to trade him” type return, which is what required when the GM is taking calls, not making calls. He won’t be traded for “fair trade value” at this point.

There was zero need to trade Drysdale. And while I like the return for the Ducks in that deal, I don't think Gauthier is a "knock my socks off" type of return for Drysdale+2nd.

 

[ScarTroy]

There was zero need to trade Drysdale. And while I like the return for the Ducks in that deal, I don't think Gauthier is a "knock my socks off" type of return for Drysdale+2nd.

There’s definitely a case that there was a need to trade Drysdale. His injury history is a concern, as evident by him sustaining yet another long term injury weeks after the trade was made.

 

[Rybread86]

There was zero need to trade Drysdale. And while I like the return for the Ducks in that deal, I don't think Gauthier is a "knock my socks off" type of return for Drysdale+2nd.

Well looking at whats going on with Drysdale right now, I dont know that anyone can really knock the trade at the moment.

 

[Ducks DVM]

There was zero need to trade Drysdale. And while I like the return for the Ducks in that deal, I don't think Gauthier is a "knock my socks off" type of return for Drysdale+2nd.

There was no need to trade Drysdale, but there was absolutely an organizational need for a scoring wing. I think the 2nd was a steep price, but I suspect that Drysdale didn’t help his case holding out with zero leverage, then immediately getting injured. I (with zero proof for the belief) suspect that Verbeek was aware of the relative health of that shoulder, had a surplus of defensemen, and moved what he saw as his least valuable piece.

Moving Zegras just weakens an already weak forward group. It makes zero sense on any level and is dealing from a position of organizational weakness. Unless it’s for a legit top pairing RD, which I haven’t seen offered anywhere.

Edit - regardless, this is a worse trade than the Drysdale trade. Gauthier could be as good or better than Drysdale. The Zegras offerings, not so much. And again - Verbeek was the one doing the calling on Gauthier.

 

[JAHV]

Well looking at whats going on with Drysdale right now, I dont know that anyone can really knock the trade at the moment.

I'm not knocking it at all. I liked it then and like it more now (unfortunately for Drysdale). My point is that no one saw it coming, and the fact that there were plenty here that didn't like the return at the time is evidence that it wasn't a heist for Verbeek. It was fair value on both sides.

The Zegras trade proposed in that piece (Farabee + 1st + 3rd for Zegras) is a bit light for my tastes, but it's not ridiculous by any stretch of the imagination. Farabee is a good young player who is having a MUCH better season than Zegras. How much you want to mitigate that because of the injury is up to you, but injuries can't be hand-waved away, either.

There was no need to trade Drysdale, but there was absolutely an organizational need for a scoring wing. I think the 2nd was a steep price, but I suspect that Drysdale didn’t help his case holding out with zero leverage, then immediately getting injured. I (with zero proof for the belief) suspect that Verbeek was aware of the relative health of that shoulder, had a surplus of defensemen, and moved what he saw as his least valuable piece.

Moving Zegras just weakens an already weak forward group. It makes zero sense on any level and is dealing from a position of organizational weakness. Unless it’s for a legit top pairing RD, which I haven’t seen offered anywhere.

Edit - regardless, this is a worse trade than the Drysdale trade. Gaucher could be as good or better than Drysdale. The Zegras offerings, not so much. And again - Verbeek was the one doing the calling on Gauthier.

I would argue that there is an organizational need for two-way players who can play in the top-6. Right now, there is one guy in the Ducks top-6 who you can legitimately call a two-way player, and that guy is hours away from being dealt. Terry is solid on the defensive side of the puck, but he's not considered a defensive stalwart by the organization as evidenced by his usage. Farabee isn't exactly Mark Stone, but he's been solid on the defensive side of the puck this year, and has been used to kill penalties in the past.

Further, I would somewhat disagree with the notion that Zegras is being dealt from a position of organizational weakness. The Ducks have three top-6 centers right now, arguably four if you include Gauthier. I'm all for it if they want to roll three deep with Carlsson-McTavish-Zegras down the middle, but that seems unlikely. If you move Zegras to the wing, he could potentially flourish there, but it's a risk. And the results were mixed when the Ducks tried that earlier in the season.

Farabee is not as good a player as Zegras, but I think what you give up in offense, you almost get back in defense, which is something the Ducks could use. And the difference in value there is at least partly made up by the two picks proposed in the piece.

To sum up - I am not enthusiastic about dealing Zegras, nor am I saying I love the proposed deal. I think it's light for the Ducks. But I think it's reasonable, and, while all the Zegras trade stuff is pure speculation, if the media are going to make stuff up to talk about, then why not talk about trading Zegras?

 

[duxfan1101]

This is likely where the Necas buzz came from. Carolina was probably offering Necas ++ for Pettersson.

 

[Hamilton Bulldogs]

Further, I would somewhat disagree with the notion that Zegras is being dealt from a position of organizational weakness. The Ducks have three top-6 centers right now, arguably four if you include Gauthier. I'm all for it if they want to roll three deep with Carlsson-McTavish-Zegras down the middle, but that seems unlikely. If you move Zegras to the wing, he could potentially flourish there, but it's a risk. And the results were mixed when the Ducks tried that earlier in the season.

Farabee is not as good a player as Zegras, but I think what you give up in offense, you almost get back in defense, which is something the Ducks could use. And the difference in value there is at least partly made up by the two picks proposed in the piece.

To sum up - I am not enthusiastic about dealing Zegras, nor am I saying I love the proposed deal. I think it's light for the Ducks. But I think it's reasonable, and, while all the Zegras trade stuff is pure speculation, if the media are going to make stuff up to talk about, then why not talk about trading Zegras?

Worrying about defensive forwards in your top 6 is pretty premature for where the Ducks are at right now. defensive forward depth is something to worry about when you're contending for a cup, not so much when your core is a bunch of under 25s whos game could drastically change by the time the cup window is open. Who knows what Cutter, Zegras, McTavish or Leo will look like when the team is elite?

Zegras is a dynamic player with a unique skillset that goes along with being a big game player. In the WJC he was simply unstoppable. When the lights were the brightest, he stepped up. This is the player who you want on the ice in a game 7 overtime situation. Farabee is a solid player but he dosen't bring to the table; what Zegras can.

 

[Dr Johnny Fever]

It’s a ridiculous return because there’s zero need to trade him. This is a forced trade type of return, not a “knock my socks off and convince me to trade him” type return, which is what required when the GM is taking calls, not making calls. He won’t be traded for “fair trade value” at this point.

That's the problem with all of these Zegras proposals. They all start with the premise that the Ducks can't stand him and really want him gone. Then the question is proposed, what kind of weak offer (making sure to first protect all of your best assets) would your team be willing throw out there? It always involves quantity and it always involves late 1sts. Nobody ever asks, what do the Ducks need to improve their team? It's never s part of the equation with these people.

The whole premise for a trade is skewed from the start. I understand the stupidity of the HF main boards, but some of these so called "journalists" (and there really are no such animals any more anywhere) don't come off any better than many of the HF clowns.

 

[JAHV]

Worrying about defensive forwards in your top 6 is pretty premature for where the Ducks are at right now. defensive forward depth is something to worry about when you're contending for a cup, not so much when your core is a bunch of under 25s whos game could drastically change by the time the cup window is open. Who knows what Cutter, Zegras, McTavish or Leo will look like when the team is elite?

Zegras is a dynamic player with a unique skillset that goes along with being a big game player. In the WJC he was simply unstoppable. When the lights were the brightest, he stepped up. This is the player who you want on the ice in a game 7 overtime situation. Farabee is a solid player but he dosen't bring to the table; what Zegras can.

I actually think a lot of the Ducks problems are related to their inability to play defense as a team. They can't retrieve the puck with enough energy to cleanly break out and then play offense. A lot of that is on the D-corps, but plenty of it is on the forwards as well. The last time this team was successful, they had two of the best defensive forwards in the league in their top 6 (Kesler and Getzlaf, plus Silfverberg and Cogliano were no slouches).

But again, I think people are missing my point, which is simply that I find the pushback to this article a little over the top. Neither Stephens nor his counterpart (sorry, I forget the name) are suggesting that Zegras will be traded or even SHOULD be traded. They're just playing a fun game to explore what it would look like if he were and if the Flyers were the destination. The return is maybe a little short for the Ducks, but it's certainly not ridiculous to think that a 23-year-old who's about to put up a 22-36-58 season plus a first round pick is such an absurd trade for Zegras that it's worth our collective scorn.

I'm sure there are plenty of fans throwing out ridiculous trade ideas. (Zegras for Erik Gudbranson! Zegras for two 6ths and lightly used gym bag!) I don't think this one qualifies.

 

[duxfan1101]

Verbeek has watched Carolina and Columbus twice in the last few days.

 

[tomd]

I can't imagine any Carolina player(s) that PV would be looking at for a TDL deal. Maybe just getting a look at a couple of their D who will be UFA's this summer.

 

[Ducks DVM]

I'm not knocking it at all. I liked it then and like it more now (unfortunately for Drysdale). My point is that no one saw it coming, and the fact that there were plenty here that didn't like the return at the time is evidence that it wasn't a heist for Verbeek. It was fair value on both sides.

The Zegras trade proposed in that piece (Farabee + 1st + 3rd for Zegras) is a bit light for my tastes, but it's not ridiculous by any stretch of the imagination. Farabee is a good young player who is having a MUCH better season than Zegras. How much you want to mitigate that because of the injury is up to you, but injuries can't be hand-waved away, either.


I would argue that there is an organizational need for two-way players who can play in the top-6. Right now, there is one guy in the Ducks top-6 who you can legitimately call a two-way player, and that guy is hours away from being dealt. Terry is solid on the defensive side of the puck, but he's not considered a defensive stalwart by the organization as evidenced by his usage. Farabee isn't exactly Mark Stone, but he's been solid on the defensive side of the puck this year, and has been used to kill penalties in the past.

Further, I would somewhat disagree with the notion that Zegras is being dealt from a position of organizational weakness. The Ducks have three top-6 centers right now, arguably four if you include Gauthier. I'm all for it if they want to roll three deep with Carlsson-McTavish-Zegras down the middle, but that seems unlikely. If you move Zegras to the wing, he could potentially flourish there, but it's a risk. And the results were mixed when the Ducks tried that earlier in the season.

Farabee is not as good a player as Zegras, but I think what you give up in offense, you almost get back in defense, which is something the Ducks could use. And the difference in value there is at least partly made up by the two picks proposed in the piece.

To sum up - I am not enthusiastic about dealing Zegras, nor am I saying I love the proposed deal. I think it's light for the Ducks. But I think it's reasonable, and, while all the Zegras trade stuff is pure speculation, if the media are going to make stuff up to talk about, then why not talk about trading Zegras?

I think you can teach a player to play defense - see Steve Yzerman. You can’t teach a player to do what Zegras does. Farabee is a 24 year old 0.56 PPG player, and players statistically peak at 25. Zegras is a 0.73 PPG 22 (soon to be 23) year old player. A late 1st that is a bottom 6 player at best, with about a 1 in 3 chance of being an AHL player, does not bridge that gap for me.

I agree that reading trade proposals is fun. I do not enjoy reading trade proposals that are too heavily slanted in one direction. Again, Verbeek isn’t calling, the other teams are. Just like Verbeek appears to have paid a premium/overpaid for Gauthier, the premium that should be paid for a Zegras trade is not by the Ducks. It’s annoying that most of the pundits are simply slanting it to pull in the larger fans bases by either proposing that team X should get him but doesn’t identify a reasonable return, or says that team X should get him as long as their top 5-7 assets aren’t involved.

 

[Rasp]

Zegras is going to come out breathing fire next season. He is the kind of guy that will prove people wrong then stare them down afterwards

 

[Ducks DVM]

5. Adam Henrique
Center, Anaheim Ducks
Age: 34
Stats: 57 GP, 16 G, 22 A, 38 Pts
Contract: Pending UFA, $5.825 million AAV
Scoop: Is anyone more excited about the way the center market has shaped up than Ducks GM Pat Verbeek? Probably not. By process of elimination, Henrique has become the top rental center available with Lindholm and Monahan off the board. We took a long look at Henrique’s game to explain why he was always the third most attractive option after those two. But now, after both returned first-round picks, Henrique is all that’s left. That thin market has also caused teams to consider other options with term on their contract (see: Scott Laughton). But Henrique is eminently capable of holding down a second line center role. The Ducks are reportedly looking for second and third-round picks, plus another third-round pick to retain half.

Seravelli makes up a report as to what Verbeek is asking for, then quotes himself as the reported ask. I blame Gibson.

Trade Targets: Noah Hanifin is holding the Calgary Flames hostage in trade talks

The list of teams Hanifin is whispering he’s interested in signing with is limiting Calgary’s market.

www.dailyfaceoff.com

 

[JAHV]

I think you can teach a player to play defense - see Steve Yzerman. You can’t teach a player to do what Zegras does. Farabee is a 24 year old 0.56 PPG player, and players statistically peak at 25. Zegras is a 0.73 PPG 22 (soon to be 23) year old player. A late 1st that is a bottom 6 player at best, with about a 1 in 3 chance of being an AHL player, does not bridge that gap for me.

I agree that reading trade proposals is fun. I do not enjoy reading trade proposals that are too heavily slanted in one direction. Again, Verbeek isn’t calling, the other teams are. Just like Verbeek appears to have paid a premium/overpaid for Gauthier, the premium that should be paid for a Zegras trade is not by the Ducks. It’s annoying that most of the pundits are simply slanting it to pull in the larger fans bases by either proposing that team X should get him but doesn’t identify a reasonable return, or says that team X should get him as long as their top 5-7 assets aren’t involved.

Fair enough, but I disagree that it's slanted in any significant way, much less heavily.

 

[robbieboy3686]

There was zero need to trade Drysdale. And while I like the return for the Ducks in that deal, I don't think Gauthier is a "knock my socks off" type of return for Drysdale+2nd.

You guys all were way too high on glassdale Jesus. A small dman who’s injury prone. I’m so glad verbeek made that deal. In return we got the #1 rated prospect who’s currently not in the pros. For fowler 2.0 the injured version

 

[MMC]

 

[gilfaizon]

I was pretty happy to see the Drysdale deal done, as i think Cutter has a lot of the attributes to be both a solid talent and a leader. I'm also not optimistic Zegras is here long term, nor do I feel like I'd be upset if he was dealt.

I think Z is a super talent, one of the top talents in the league even, but I think talent and ability to impact the game consistently are two totally different things. I think PV has a vision for the team, and at this point i'm very skeptical that Zegras is a guaranteed part of the vision. Granted, we haven't seen him much with Cronin yet, and Cronin will be here for at least another season.

I'm expecting (as others have said) Zegras will come out motivated and if he can develop his 200ft game as PV/Cronin envision, he could change plans for PV quickly.

 

[Ducks DVM]

I would love to get a 3rd for Lybushkin, expect to get a 4th, and am concerned it’ll be a 5th.

 

[tomd]

5. Adam Henrique
Center, Anaheim Ducks
Age: 34
Stats: 57 GP, 16 G, 22 A, 38 Pts
Contract: Pending UFA, $5.825 million AAV
Scoop: Is anyone more excited about the way the center market has shaped up than Ducks GM Pat Verbeek? Probably not. By process of elimination, Henrique has become the top rental center available with Lindholm and Monahan off the board. We took a long look at Henrique’s game to explain why he was always the third most attractive option after those two. But now, after both returned first-round picks, Henrique is all that’s left. That thin market has also caused teams to consider other options with term on their contract (see: Scott Laughton). But Henrique is eminently capable of holding down a second line center role. The Ducks are reportedly looking for second and third-round picks, plus another third-round pick to retain half.

Seravelli makes up a report as to what Verbeek is asking for, then quotes himself as the reported ask. I blame Gibson.

Trade Targets: Noah Hanifin is holding the Calgary Flames hostage in trade talks

The list of teams Hanifin is whispering he’s interested in signing with is limiting Calgary’s market.

www.dailyfaceoff.com

That quote about what the Ducks are looking for has been around since before the Lindholm/Monahan trades. I can't imagine that is all that PV is looking for nor can I believe that the organization leaked it.

 

[Ducks DVM]

That quote about what the Ducks are looking for has been around since before the Lindholm/Monahan trades. I can't imagine that is all that PV is looking for nor can I believe that the organization leaked it.

Agreed on both counts. It was just an easy jab at Seravelli, who I think is equal parts putting out clickbait and trolling us after the blowback from his Gibson-Gate