So, basically, they swap Groulx for Ylonen, 2 prospects neither team looks high on and Zegras gets traded for Struble, Beck (2 players I could see as Verbeek type players) as well as a 1st, a 2nd and a 3rd. Maybe we need to change that 2nd and 3rd into another 1st but I feel like this could be close to fair value or, at least, enough to start a meaningful discussion on the subject.

Personnally it’s an overpay but maybe Hughes would do it

I like it.

You’re missing the only 3 things that interest Anaheim you have

We pass, easily

MTL Passes
Zegras would be nice at the right cost and two firsts aint it if Goulx is the other player involved.
But we'd be looking at something different like Isaac Lundstrom who we see struggling but think its worth the roll of the dice as he fits the team build needs

Trade Matheson to LAK for their 1st round pick
They'll make the playoffs might even win a round but thats it
So a 22nd -25th pick we'll call it.

Bundle That pick with one of the Monahan picks with Harris or Savard
They can get Quality with a 1st rounder in another solid Draft with LAK pick and claim a 2nd one this year with WPG pick
Or roll the dice that CGY fails to meet the last of their conditions and their pick the year after selling their core will be in the top 10 easily.


MTL gets Value in Zegras and Lundstrom
They can flip Harris or Savard this or next TDL in either of his final 2 years
MTL addresses its Center issues.
ANA gets picks of value they can use and a player they can use or flip

Those aren't picks of quality, they are picks of quantity. MTLs 24 1st is a pick of quality.

If the offer doesn't include one of Slafkovaky, Reinbacher, or MTLs 24 1st, then the offer for Zegras is declined, plain and simple.

If we're moving a top line talent, we're getting a potential top line/pairing talent the other way, not a grab bag of spare parts that becomes middle six pieces IF they hit. Quality, not quantity gets it done.

In no world does Zegras get that today though
If he was on an Upswing thats a stretch
Closest he'd get to a top 10 pick from MTL is the CGY pick
Given they're sellers in a big way this year
Its highly likely they will be bottom 10 in the league next year.

Far as getting this home run return
I just dont see it this year.
If he plays great into next TDL then yeah maybe i guess.


While Zegras is good
I'd rather draft a Tij Iginla on the high end if WPG goes out early to lets say a DAL or VGK
On the low end a Cole Hutson if they go Further in the playoffs who is a Dynamic LD set to inherit his brothers role in BOS as he turns Pro (Great player )
If they win the cup M.Hage or L.Petterson arent bad choices to have fall in your lap

Much as i like Zegras the timing isnt right to pay more or as much as OTT did for Debrincat or Duchene only to regret it.
Zegras is a good player but i dont see him being a fit on any team picking top 10 this year so i wouldnt hang on to that fantasy.
TBH im taking the possible CGY top 10 off the table since its clearly not valued by ANA as much as it is by MTL

Zegras 1 for 1 isnt worth a Slafkovsky in my eyes, ANA would have to add.
Reinbacher many people dont like, im not one of them so including him is a non starter really as Hutson complements his style as seen at Rookie Camp
For me the most Valuable Starter i might move is Matheson to get a return from someone else that might have the pieces you want that isnt a top 10 pick
(that no ones giving up for Zegras, Mctavish or Carlson maybe but Zegras never)

Then we keep Zegras, plain and simple. He's not being shopped, the coach likes him, he's under contract and his RFA rights are intact at the end of that. Claims that his value has never been lower because of his points total this season are ignoring the fact that he's under a new system with a new coach, missed camp, and was playing injured at the start of the season. A minor slump would be expected with half of those factors, let alone all of them.

So yes, I will hang onto my "Fantasy" and tell you to abandon yours, believing you will be gifted Zegras for a grab bag of spare parts.

Verbeeks not clearing house of Murrays guys, he traded Drysdale because Mintyukov made him expendable as PPQB1 going forward. He made the trade to address the teams lack of scoring on the top 6, for which Zegras has been top 2 on the team the last two years, so why would we subtract that from our roster to add a bunch of future middle 6 pieces we don't need? We're already flush with those kind of prospects.

The only way Z is moved is for a single piece of value, and Anaheim won't be adding to any of the ones above. Slaf straight up, Reinvacher + MTLs 25 2nd, or MTLs top 5 pick and a beck level prospect, or again, we keep Zegras on our roster.

Rumors have it contract negotiations were rough? I'm sure they were, but had they been so rough that it permanently damaged the relationship, the two sides wouldn't have come to an agreement and Zegras would have been traded instead of signed.

At the end of the day, those are the facts, if Zegras was available for spare parts, he would have been shipped off over the summer. He wasn't, and all these rumors are coming from the least reliable "reporter" on Anaheims going ons. He also said Gibson would never suit up for Anaheim again and decided to pick a very public beef with Gibson's agent, Gibson is still playing here.

1st anywhere from 18th to 25th pick this year , CGY 1st given their 3 points out of a Wildcard spots plural that pick could be 20th-34th this year or higher next year were in play.
I value them more then Zegras as this point in this draft. I love Zegras he's a great novelty player but i wouldnt give a top 10 draft pick for him.
McTavish or Carlson,sure no problem but outside that MTL would rather draft whoever falls out of the top 5-6 as Demidov in some peoples rankings has as has Silayev , both incredible players & unique

Zegras just isnt the Type MSL plays, he's the type he benches and talks **** in the media about.
I just dont see that working with MTL so it makes me weary of overpaying for him.
I'd feel a lot better about it if Zegras wasnt on a down swing and could stay healthy long enough to show us why we should overpay.

I think maybe this time next year things might change
Who knows maybe something changes between now and then
Maybe someone breaks out making a more established player expendable to us

CGY is the only team just as likely to make the playoff as finish bottom 10 in the league and they wanted Zegras i believe.
But im not sure they want to Gamble this soon after Kadri and Huberdeau lol

"Downswing" **** off, guy is 22 and has tons of ceiling left above what he did in his rookie and sophomore years. "Can't stay healthy" again, **** off, MTL paid 13 OA plus for Dach who was known for not being able to stay healthy ever, this is the first injury trouble Zegras has run into.

Best of luck with your teams drafting.

Thats why i didnt say he sucks and emphasized over an over he is Great
Im not saying he's a Bust by saying a down swing .
I literally used Debrincat and Duchene trades to emphasize that why i was nervous to overpay for him is how they worked out at the same point in a rebuild.

I never once said he didnt have a higher Ceiling
I again emphasized that if you waited or he got healthy and played the season that i'd be more likely to if he showed it was worth it.
I went to extreme's to avoid this butthurt stance i knew you'd eventually default to .

You're right and Dach pick was worth how much in that draft ?
Who did they take again and who went around them? how are they doing?

Not all Drafts are Created Equal
Every 10 years or so Russians have multiple 1st break into every level of the first round
It creates an overwhelming amount of depth pushing Junior and NCAA picks that normally go much earlier down the list.
This year its Demidov, Silayev, and Levushunov among others are dominate Russians playing at the highest levels around the world.

If this was a Weak draft i think Zegras could get what you're asking like Dach did
But this isnt that and Context 100% does matter 10/10 and i hear daily how Slafkovsky was a #1 OA pick in a really weak Draft
Its all i ever hear while trying to defend his evolution as a player and the fact he's still leading his Draft Class for a reason

Debrincat and Duschene trades had one thing in common, they both went to Ottawa and were miserable, in Ottawa and wanted out. MTL supposedly doesn't have the problem of "players don't want to be here"

Dach had a career high 28 points when MTL acquired his rights, he had been mishandled in his development on top of his injury concerns, and he was available for that because Chicago wanted to cut bait on him, they thought he was a bust and kicked the project onto someone else. Yeah, he looked a lot better in MTL, when he's on the ice, but that still pales in comparison to what Zegras has already done in his career.

While this isn't a bad draft, it isn't a good one either, certainly not compared to last year's.

So, you can talk around the point all you'd like, at the end of the day, Zegras isn't a MSL type guy, his value is "damaged", other big trades like this sometimes don't work out for the acquiring team, you'd rather keep the pieces it would take to actually get Z, the late firsts should be enough, etc.

At the end of the day, he's a top line forward on the Ducks, he's consistently one of our leading scores, he's under contract, and under team control once that's up. His name may have come up in trade conversations, but we're he available for the parts you want to pay for him, he would have been traded out already. It'll take a blue chip piece to convince Verbeek to trade him, there's no wiggle room on that.