Hard pass from the Ducks. Gaucher is looking great and is the proto-typical Verbeek player (big, strong, hard to play against).

Correct. Addison alone is not enough to get that done, if the Ducks would even trade Gaucher. Teams don't get rid of highly-touted, cheap, young, big centers like that.

Steel gets more than a 7th - I would think more like a 4th or 5th for what he brings.

I would love to see Nyquist back on the team, but yea - only if they trade away a core player like Foligno. And I don't think Guerin does that unless the Wild are on the outside looking in come next season's TDL.

Ducks are not interested in adding yet another undersized puck moving D. We have enough power play QBs.

Yes, we have a need at RHD, but a very specific need for big defensive defensemen.

So far is is exceeding my expectations!

Quoting from the Ducks press release about the Memorial cup, they said it better than I can...

"Gaucher serves a critical role for Quebec as a matchup center who excels in the faceoff circle, defends well beyond his years and is capable of chipping in offensively. Despite battling through injuries this season, Gaucher became the first player in QMJHL history to win both the Guy Carbonneau (Best Defensive Forward, 2023) and Mike Bossy (Best Professional Prospect, 2022) awards. The 6-foot-3 pivotman has 20 points in 18 playoff games, including three power-play goals."

It's safe to say they aren't trading Gaucher. FWIW, I'm eager to see the Zellweger vs Gaucher game on Friday. That should be a good watch.

voted best defensive forward in the QMJHL this past season, he's on the level of untouchable that Mintyukov, Zellweger and Luneau (Defensman of the year in the OHL, WHL and QMJHL respectively, a clean sweep of the CHL for our prospects) [Tyson Hinds was also awarded defensive defenseman of the year in the QMJHL]

Goligoski only scored 6 points, is a rental, is 37 and you're getting paid for him? Idk.

What if the Wild offered Marco Rossi?

Absolutely not trading Gaucher

Rossi is a 5'9" offensively gifted player. He's fairly redundant with Zegras and presumably Fantilli in my opinion except smaller. Gaucher lines up as the 3C of the future. I just don't see, given the organizational needs and the attributes of the players, why Anaheim would do that.

We're building a team over here and guys have to slot into roles.

Makes sense!

Yeah, feedback here treating him like he is second coming of Jean Beliveau. So I overswung a wee bit it seems. Still think there is value for Addison despite Wild seeming to do everything they could to undermine his worth. Not sure then who, but Addison for a prospect of some sort.

And then on Steel, if I say 4th or 5th, then the team I do that with would chime in telling me how miserable he is! Ha. Love ACGM. Agree with you though that he has some value.

Ha, exactly. It's a fun place to ponder and speculate, and then watch people flip their **** over their team's precious players and prospects. I am a Wild fan, but try to stay as realistic as I can on here. Of course Guerin traded away Jack McBain last year to Arizona, so the center trade thing does happen sometimes. He is a liked GM, so who knows.