Wut.
Why do you think that?
He hasn't put up the numbers to validate he is worth anything higher than MAYBE a current 3rd depending on the team. He has 8G and 2A in 41 games on the NHL level, and has been fairly invisible at times when he's played. He is not as great defensively as he was praised for during the WJC. I think he still has the potential for a major upswing, but if I'm not sure a lot of GMs are going to want to let go of a Top 60 pick for someone who isn't already proven in the NHL unless they are in full rebuild mode (BUF style).
Obviously hindsight being 20/20, how many would have been more willing to trade Zucker to Buffalo in the Poms trade as opposed to Larsson? Especially if Brodziak is bought-out or is not replaced and Phillips doesn't make the move up, or the team does not acquire someone in the offseason?
I know I hold a very unpopular opinion on this, but I just don't see him going for something you typically see 20-goal scorers going for.
Who knows? Part of a package for another player? Acquire draft picks? Move up in the draft?
It just doesn't seem like, to me, that he is in the Wild's long term plans...especially if they do target Moulson or Vanek in the offseason...where would he fit in?
Acquiring picks would constitute they see something in the draft in the high double-digits or plan on putting a package together of picks to move up in that matter. Either way, I don't know if Fletcher would do that based on what we've seen for how active the front office has been with obtaining proven veteran leaders in the last 3 years. If he will use it and the picks to do a RFA swap, I'd be interested to see what it would look like. But you're right, if this team finds a way to retain Moulson and sign Vanek, There is literally no Top-6 roster spot for him. Keeping him in the AHL would do about as much good as it would have been keeping Dumba in Red Deer. However, he could provide much needed speed to a 4th line of Zucker-Haula-Fontaine. Just means the 2nd and 3rd lines would see the blunt of defensive minutes then.
Last edited: