No interest in Atkinson

Extremely unlikely Winnipeg moves their top AHL prospect for a rental.

Noah Hanifin isn't signing with Philly.

And that offer for Trevor Zegras is beaten.

FWIW, I'd 100% call Lambert a better AHL prospect and probably Lucius (injuries aside) as well

You would think that a team that wants goal scoring would have an interest in Atkinson. Maybe the Kings.
That's might be a steep package to obtain Zegras. Gotta think it would interest the Ducks.

Agreed from Ducks POV. No interest in seeing Z moved, but you’d have to consider this if you’re Verbeek

Wouldn't really agree with either.

1) Hanafin is from the Boston area, I could see signing with a big Eastern market team for a ton of money being an attractive option

2) I really don't see how an offer of one of the better rookies in hockey this year (who happens to play a position/style of need in Anaheim), a top-15 drafted RHD prospect in hockey (also an area of need in Anaheim) and a 1st gets beaten

Lambert and Chibrikov are a coin toss, but neither are in play for a rental.

So Philly is a rebuilding team, Hanifin isn't signing with no rebuilding team. And it's been reported now that he would really love to play in Tampa.

Would be curious who the Flyers have been intensely scouting at Moose games recently then, cause it's not Heinola and outside of those 2 and Lucius I can't imagine any player they'd be heavily scouting for any reason

My thinking was that Foerster looks like a 22 year old NHLer. He has outscored Zegras this season...though Zegras has more upside of course. The first rounder is nice but not great as it might be about 28th.
The key to trade would be Dman Bonk who has had a breakout season with London, Flyers first rounder last season. How does Verbeek view him?

Like what you said. Yeah Boston might be nice for Hanifan, but what is Boston's interest when they might have other priorities?
As you said Flyers are on the East Coast, and play in the easy travel Metro division. Hanifan does look a fit.
Good post you made.

Sometimes scouts just scout or are there for some other reason. They could be scouting and asking about them, but if there was a deal, a rental wouldn't be the main piece coming back. It's just not Chevy's MO.

Well as of now the Flyers are in the playoffs as are Tampa. Certainly Tampa is attractive, but their cap issues might force money to other areas.

Avs accept

I think Foerster is going to top out at 2nd line, could just become a very solid 3rd line winger, Bonk seems like a Verbeek type, plus you gotta love the name, buts he's a ways off from a sure thing like a Reinvacher would be.

I think if those two pieces and Philly's first were offered, Verbeek bites, but I don't know about with the late 20s pick.

Please explain?

Why do people think that Zegras has upside?

From watching him he's a 60 point guy who has loads of skill but a very low hockey IQ. Always in the wrong place, bad defensively, poor decision making. He seems like an offense only 2nd line center at best and a 2nd line LW at worse. I don't see the top line potential.

Yea, honestly I don't think Zegras gets this return. There seems to be a massive gap between Zegras' valuation of himself, fan's valuation of him and actual hockey front offices view of him.

People thought he might get 10M+ in the summer and he was reportedly asking for 8M+. He's a 60 point guy, he has loads of skill but no IQ. Personally if I had to pick him or Foerster I'm taking Foerster. I don't think there are many front offices that are looking to trade more than a 1st and B prospect for him. He's a 2C at best.

Avs probably have to take that with Seeler in as well. They might have to send a low end contract back the other way however.

I don't argue the rest but as far as pure point totals, 70 points was top 60 production last season and a handful of those were defensemen.

Top 90(ish) forwards are technically "1st line" for production, and a number of those will be 60 point players.
There aren't even enough p/g forwards for every team to have 1, let alone 3, even assuming equal distribution which is never the case. (Edmonton and Toronto each had 3-4.)

The p/g standard and the idea that 1st line forwards need to have more than 70 points to qualify as one, are unrealistic and unreasonable expectations.
Zegras may not be on the high end of that group (along with many similar players in terms of production) but claiming that makes him only a 2nd liner is false.

For his type of player which is pure offense with no physicality or defense. 60 points is definitely a 2nd liner.

Most 1st lines have some defensive/physical guy who has lower points totals.

I'll put it this simply. If your 1st line C is horrible defensively, isn't physical and puts up only 60 points then you are screwed.

By that same token, if a 1st line has enough defense and physicality, with a player(s) that are p/g, then a purely offensive forward who is more offensively creative would be considered in the same vein despite lower point totals.

The traditional defining characteristic of a 1st line forward, is their ability to produce. There are players that achieve that in different ways. There are no other specific requirements for a 1st line forward beyond production. You can be big, small, slow, fast, a shooter or passer, a defensive liability or 200 foot player. None of that matters if you aren't putting up enough points.