I think Zacha should be moved. Not because I hate him or because he sucks or whatever nonsense I'm going to get for suggesting this, but because I'm skeptical he'll be anything more than a 30-40 point guy and if we wait to long to move him then his value will disappear.
At 22, former 6th overall pick, teams could make the argument he could still become the guy he was drafted to be. Every year that goes by, the less likely he is to get there. I don't think he will get there, so trade him now while other teams might still be interested.
In regards to the "but he's the next Zajac!" type of responses - it shouldn't be that hard to find a defensively responsible middle-6 center. If you're drafting well you should be churning out guys like that every few years. McLeod could be that guy. Moynihan could be that guy. Talvite could be that guy. It's not difficult to find 3rd line centers who can get 40 points and play defense. Obviously, Zajac is amazing at that role, but we don't need an amazing guy to be there. And, this should go without saying, but if you're grooming one of your top under-22 players to be a role player then something tragic has gone wrong.
But now, I think he could be a main piece in a deal for a legitimate top-6 winger. Especially to a contender who can shelter him. He has a safe floor as a 3rd liner, and they can gamble he breaks out and becomes a cost-controlled point producer. Imagine him as LW3 on a deep Western team like Winnipeg or St. Louis.
