Quoting: GMDannyB
Laf is 4 months younger and hasn’t come close to Zegras’ production albeit Laf gets less minutes but Laf was supposed to be a generational talent and Zegras was supposed to be a tier slightly below that. All 32 GMs would rather have Zegras over Laf on their team right now. Upside doesn’t matter for a team like NYR who are trying to compete for a cup now. Laf was supposed to be a generational forward and if all you can say about him is that he plays a good defensive game then the two really can’t be compared. Nobody cares how much potential you have if you never hit it in the NHL, ask Nolan Patrick and Flyers fans about that lol.
You are literally making my argument for me, but coming to the opposite conclusion. Again, I never said Laf was worth more than Zegras, or that I would rather have him. The only reason I compared them is because we are literally discussing a trade proposal that involves both of them, and that is worth comparison if we are discussing value. Also, I doubt you are correct about "every GM would rather have Zegras than Laf". Maybe every Business operations manager would, but not EVERY GM of hockey operations would feel the same. There are many ways to find value in players, a 21 year old putting up around 40 points while being a reliable and defensively responsible player are some of those valuable attributes. Personally, I would rather have those things, alongside Laf's offensive upside (given some time and maybe a larger role) and the fact that you could probably get way more surplus value out of him in the long term big picture, than some loud mouth prima-donna who refuses to play defense, but to each their own, I guess. If the NYR's are looking to "win now" I highly doubt Zegras is anything even remotely close to the solution for them. Especially considering the fact that NY can't afford him.
There are way more variables that need to be considered in making trades, assigning value to players, and building a team than you seem to think. Regardless, Laf has plenty of value. So, sending him along with a 1st round pick should easily be enough for Zegras, or pretty close to it. Although, the Goodrow contract could complicate things depending on ANA's needs, timeline, and projected cap/roster space within the remaining term of his deal.