Let me start by saying where the Ducks fans have got Zegras and Drysdale are off the table from Link here: https://www.thefourthperiod.com/jun-2021/ducks-plan-on-exploring-trade-market

"The Ducks have made it clear they have no interest in moving top prospects Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale"

David Pagnotta (editor-in-chief for the 4th period) is a very reliable and trusted source, especially in southern California, so if he says they are reportedly off the table, there's a good chance there's some level of truth to it.

There are so many reasons both Zegras and Drysdale are off the table, it isnt because Eichel isnt worth that, its because the Ducks are not in a position to give that up to get him

ANA finished above one team last season, and that was BUF, why would Eichel not demand a trade the second he touches down in ANA if they are worse than BUF after the trade.

If the Ducks give up the package above, their top 9 next season would be some semblance of this

Olofsson-Eichel-Rakell
Jones-Henrique-Silfverberg
Steel-Lundestrom-Heinen

To me that is worse than the top 9 BUF had last year.

The issue Ducks fans have with giving up Zegras/Drysdale++ for Eichel has nothing to do with Eichels value at all, It has everything to do with the current state of the Ducks roster, and how they would still be a bottom 10 team in the league with a much more bleak future if they do this trade, and Eichel surely wouldnt be happy going to a place with a worse forward group than BUF had

It's not that Anaheim wouldn't give up Zegras for PLD, it's that they won't give him up.

I think the easiest way to talk about this is like this-

Anaheim finished 2nd worst in the NHL this year. They are (easily) 2 years away from being anywhere close to competitive. Trading 2 of their top 3 youngsters, plus 3 OA, all to finish 6th-7th-8th worst instead of 2nd worst makes zero sense at all. Add to that the fact that there's nothing saying that Eichel won't use his NMC to handcuff the team after (yet another) non-playoff year, and demand his way out. No need to discuss the injury, as there's quite literally nobody around that knows how that'll play out.

I don't know...if you were Buffalo and you didn't have Eichel, would you trade Cozens, Quinn, 1OA, Tage, and whoever for a player that is very, very good, but doesn't get you anywhere close to the playoffs? Doesn't seem like the smartest plan, IMO.

Absolutely not.