Confirmed with Link: Ducks sign Trevor Zegras to ELC (3 years, $925K AAV)

[The Mighty Duck Man]

I don’t see Backstrom at all in Zegras. I see a lot of Patrick Kane (style wise, not comparing their talent) but Backstrom is a completely different type of player. Only similarities they have are that they are both pass first guys.

One also probably shouldn't say a prospect will end up being a better version of an all-star, that's just setting yourself up.

Beckstrom has never paced for below 50 assists in 82 games, he's an incredible player and we'd be lucky if Zegras is anywhere near as good as he is.

 

[bsu]

Backstrom is a beast but zegras is more explosive play styles are kinda similar but not really. If zegras turned out as productive as backstrom we'd all be happy.

 

[gilfaizon]

Probably nothing Zegras could or will do will make up for the talent difference between these two players. I don't really understand your point or the proposed metric.

This was in response to AngelDuck, where I initially proposed that a year in the AHL would be beneficial, as I think we'd see a Jack Hughes scenario if he were in the NHL next year.

 

[Anaheim4ever]

I was looking at it from a scoresheet/stat perspective that i see Zegras as a guy who can pump out 50+ assists a year someday.
He plays like Kane but his stats on the scoresheet could look more like Backstrom.

 

[TopShelfWaterBottle]

I was looking at it from a scoresheet/stat perspective that i see Zegras as a guy who can pump out 50+ assists a year someday.
He plays like Kane but his stats on the scoresheet could look more like Backstrom.

If Z could pull out ppg seasons and a couple higher seasons we would all be stoked

depending on who we can surround him with

 

[Los Patos de Anaheim]

If Z could pull out ppg seasons and a couple higher seasons we would all be stoked

depending on who we can surround him with

I’d temper expectations a bit. He definitely has the potential for it, but knowing how the Ducks develop prospects he might turn into a 50 point guy.

 

[Masch78]

I’d temper expectations a bit. He definitely has the potential for it, but knowing how the Ducks develop prospects he might turn into a 50 point guy.

Whats wrong with our development?

 

[Zegs2sendhelp]

I think the important thing with zegras is finding the right players for him to play with to maximize his potential.

Comtois seems like an ideal fit on the left side... big body, who knows how to score and go to the dirty areas and keep his stick in a position to put the puck on net.

Ideally I think wed love to find a RW that is more of a sniper type.... rakell might fill that void... or maybe we end up with someone like hotlz/Raymond.

 

[Los Patos de Anaheim]

Whats wrong with our development?

Fowler, Lindholm, Ritchie, Steel, Jones. Just nobody really hitting their full potential

 

[Paul4587]

Fowler, Lindholm, Ritchie, Steel, Jones. Just nobody really hitting their full potential

Fowler and Lindholm aren’t really examples of that. To get two guys who at various points of their careers have been legit top pairing guys with 6 and 12 overall picks isn’t bad. Both players issues haven’t been with development but with consistency. In Lindholm’s case he also peaked early in terms of speed/agility/puck movement, I think you could make an argument that a lot of his attributes were better at 22 than they are at 26.

The forwards I tend to agree with. Outside of two years of Rakell riding shotgun to prime Getzlaf we haven’t developed a first line forward since Bobby Ryan. Palmieri I guess we developed but we traded him way before we were able to see it.

 

[Los Patos de Anaheim]

Fowler and Lindholm aren’t really examples of that. To get two guys who at various points of their careers have been legit top pairing guys with 6 and 12 overall picks isn’t bad. Both players issues haven’t been with development but with consistency. In Lindholm’s case he also peaked early in terms of speed/agility/puck movement, I think you could make an argument that a lot of his attributes were better at 22 than they are at 26.

The forwards I tend to agree with. Outside of two years of Rakell riding shotgun to prime Getzlaf we haven’t developed a first line forward since Bobby Ryan. Palmieri I guess we developed but we traded him way before we were able to see it.

The Ducks definitely got a lot from Fowler and Lindholm from 2014-2018, but they never really became the Norris caliber defensemen they seemed capable of. Save 2013-2014 for Cam and 2016-2017 for Hampus

 

[Paul4587]

The Ducks definitely got a lot from Fowler and Lindholm from 2014-2018, but they never really became the Norris caliber defensemen they seemed capable of. Save 2013-2014 for Cam and 2016-2017 for Hampus

Yeah I'm not disagreeing there. Compared to our forwards though they've done extremely well.

 

[JabbaJabba]

Fowler, Lindholm, Ritchie, Steel, Jones. Just nobody really hitting their full potential

I think it's too early to tell for Steel and Jones. Neither have played over 100 NHL games yet and they both turned 22 this February. Also, what is their realistic top potential? Jones is likely a third liner and Steel a 2nd line center in my mind. Fans often overrate their team's prospects and when the players won't reach fans' ridiculous expectations they are considered disappointments.

I guess the expectations for Fowler were that he would be more of an offensive force but I mean he turned into a solid top 4 defenceman who has played like number 2. Offensively he hasn't been what people expected but he is not far off.

Lindholm most definitely has met his potential by becoming a number one defencemen for the team. He is no Hedman or Doughty but when he was drafted most of the fans were shocked to see him drafted so early and no one knew nothing about him. So the fact that he plays the most important minutes I think he has exceeded the expectations.

For Ritchie I agree that he hasn't reached his potential.

 

[WhatTheDuck]

The Ducks definitely got a lot from Fowler and Lindholm from 2014-2018, but they never really became the Norris caliber defensemen they seemed capable of. Save 2013-2014 for Cam and 2016-2017 for Hampus

When did anyone consider a
Lindholm or Fowler to be potential Norris candidates? They've both more or less met their potential.

 

[Goose of Reason]

Yeah idk how 2 players that have been top pairing defenders almost their entire careers are disappointments. That is an insanely high bar to have.

 

[Los Patos de Anaheim]

When did anyone consider a
Lindholm or Fowler to be potential Norris candidates? They've both more or less met their potential.

I think just about every ducks fan in 2014 expected Norris seasons from Cam and Hampus

 

[Gliff]

I think just about every ducks fan in 2014 expected Norris seasons from Cam and Hampus

I think this is ridiculous to say. Even if people thought they had "Norris potential" it is still a long way off from EXPECTING Norris seasons from either of them, let alone both of them.

Do you know how many amazing defensemen have never won a Norris trophy? Suter, Weber, Josi, OEL, Gonchar, Blake, the list goes on and on. Shit, Pronger and Scotty only won it once...

 

[Los Patos de Anaheim]

I think this is ridiculous to say. Even if people thought they had "Norris potential" it is still a long way off from EXPECTING Norris seasons from either of them, let alone both of them.

Do you know how many amazing defensemen have never won a Norris trophy? Suter, Weber, Josi, OEL, Gonchar, Blake, the list goes on and on. Shit, Pronger and Scotty only won it once...

Norris seasons as in being a nominee, I should have specified. Lindholm and Fowler both had years in the top 10 and haven’t come close since.

 

[Sean Garrity]

Norris seasons as in being a nominee, I should have specified. Lindholm and Fowler both had years in the top 10 and haven’t come close since.

You make a great point and that's that it could be argued that it's consistency that makes a player elite verse top line talent.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

Lindholm is starting to improve his offense, but he was better when he was younger defensively. As for the Norris, you need to score a lot as a defenseman and Lindholm didn't need to do that to help the team win. There have been articles reflecting that notion and I'm okay with Lindholm being that defensive stalwart. While Lindholm is a good 1D, his defense has slipped some - but that could be due to injuries hampering him.

link from Sportsnet

link from hockey writers...

"However, unlike Karlsson, Lindholm will probably never gain the national attention he deserves, especially judging from the 2015-16 Norris Trophy voting. During that season, Lindholm had put up a 57 Corsi percentage coupled with his career-best offensive production. It was the only time he had been nominated thus far in his short career, and he finished tied for 17th with only three votes,... "

 

[Leonardo87]

I think the important thing with zegras is finding the right players for him to play with to maximize his potential.

Comtois seems like an ideal fit on the left side... big body, who knows how to score and go to the dirty areas and keep his stick in a position to put the puck on net.

Ideally I think wed love to find a RW that is more of a sniper type.... rakell might fill that void... or maybe we end up with someone like hotlz/Raymond.

Which is why i am a little reluctant to move Rakell unless we have another 30 goal scorer to replace him. I get the effort level, but if he gets back to that level, which is not unrealistic, he would be ideal or Z. I do like the idea of Comtois, and excited to see him up next season. Since he went back down to SD he has been killing it.

 

[Leonardo87]

When did anyone consider a
Lindholm or Fowler to be potential Norris candidates? They've both more or less met their potential.

Plus, I thought Fowler was having one his best seasons this year before he got hurt. If he plays like that moving forward then have no issues with him at all.

 

[Kalv]

Which is why i am a little reluctant to move Rakell unless we have another 30 goal scorer to replace him. I get the effort level, but if he gets back to that level, which is not unrealistic, he would be ideal or Z. I do like the idea of Comtois, and excited to see him up next season. Since he went back down to SD he has been killing it.

Yeah Rakell is our most skilled player. Would be so twisted to have him traded right now and still ''not tanking''

 

[Leonardo87]

Yeah Rakell is our most skilled player. Would be so twisted to have him traded right now and still ''not tanking''

We gave up on Kase, but he never came close to his potential and was injured often . Rakell has shown what he can do, and he is still young, and can get back there again, imo.. He had 7 points in his last 5 games before the season was suspended. So was heating up.

 

[Paul4587]

Yeah Rakell is our most skilled player. Would be so twisted to have him traded right now and still ''not tanking''

You think? I haven’t seen that skill nearly enough the past two season. At times it looked like he had a hole in his blade. The guy used to get away with being so lazy because he had elite hands and was getting fed by one of the best passers in the game, now his hands are for whatever reason only slightly above average and it’s showing in his numbers.