Zegras trade rumours...

[mooneyes]

is a possible trade rumor...I heard.

Ok, I'm really bored. Could happen though. Not sure what the Ducks are thinking trying to low ball both Zegras and Drysdale. Maybe they are over rated?

[Savard18]

is a possible trade rumor...I heard.

Ok, I'm really bored. Could happen though. Not sure what the Ducks are thinking trying to low ball both Zegras and Drysdale. Maybe they are over rated?

Nice clickbait!

Wow, Habs fans are starting to sound like Leafs fans now, lol...

It's NOT going to happen btw... The only way I see any young stud of Zegras' caliber getting traded these days is in a good old fashioned hockey trade - a 1 for 1 deal. Think Subban for Weber, Johanson for Seth Jones, or we can go way back to Denis Savard for Chris Chelios.. A deal like that.

[cjb]

clickbait ™™™™™

[jameslacarte]

Lmao keep dreaming

[piper1]

If you really want your rumour to get any legs just say he is going to Toronto. Stand back though as there will be plenty of frothing at the mouth.

[mooneyes]

I'm just having a little fun, and not a Hab's fan.

Currently he is without a contract, and there are other teams with possible interest because why wouldn't they? The Ducks offer of $4 M x 3 seems like they aren't too high on him.
It would be interesting if someone gave him an offer sheet, Nashville, Chicago come to mind with all their cap room.

[RGM81]

In the interest of keeping it real, I've altered the thread title for this one. I'd rather we not be posting such things.

[jameslacarte]

If you really want your rumour to get any legs just say he is going to Toronto. Stand back though as there will be plenty of frothing at the mouth.

Yeah cause nobody wants to play in Montreal so we know it's a hoax or Joke right off the bat
Maybe he will go to the Senators so they just might not suck again this year with all that talent. ..

[Devlin]

signed for three yr

[Savard18]

I'm just having a little fun, and not a Hab's fan.

Currently he is without a contract, and there are other teams with possible interest because why wouldn't they? The Ducks offer of $4 M x 3 seems like they aren't too high on him.
It would be interesting if someone gave him an offer sheet, Nashville, Chicago come to mind with all their cap room.

The RFA draft pick compensation for a rebuilding team just wouldn't be worth it.. I mean if any team is going to offer-sheet Zegras, they're going to have to give the Ducks at minimum 2 first round picks, a 2nd and a 3rd if not 4 first round picks depending on the AAV of the contract..

I mean, I think Zegras is fantastic but as a Hawks fan you don't want to leverage the next several years of team growth for one player... Not only that but the Hawks, Davidson and the scouting staff have done a damn good job of building a legitimate future perennial contender.. They're clearly drafting players with particular skill-sets that complement the other youngsters the Hawks have drafted and vice versa - and THAT is how you build a contender.. Not only that, but if you give up future picks (or prospects) - especially picks that are 4-years down the road - you're really hindering your ability to make need additions and upgrades to the team at a future trade deadline.. Because in many cases - every team come the trade deadline is missing an "ingredient" or two in order to make a legitimate run, and even if a team is content with their roster they usually make a few deals to add some depth for insurance reasons.

So adding Zegras to the Hawks seems like a dream on face value, but it wouldn't be the smartest or most responsible thing to do at this point in the Blackhawks rebuild... Not only that - but the Hawks are only a few years away from being a legitimate force in the NHL, moreover there is zero doubt in my mind that the Hawks will make a SIGNIFICANT UFA splash (or two) next summer or the UFA class of 2025 - a major UFA signing very similar to what the Hawks did with Marian Hossa in the summer of 2009..... And look, I was really hoping "the big splash" I'd expect was going to be Auston Matthews, but obviously (and unfortunately) he's off the table - but there will still be a handful of quality impact players in the next couple of UFA classes that could be that big signing and one of the pieces that take the Hawks to the next level. I mean one player, one UFA signing can indeed take a team from a playoff performer to a Stanley Cup contender.

So as a Hawks fan of 40+ years, the answer to poaching Zegras from the Ducks is a solid no, and it's not because I don't believe Zegras is an asset or wouldn't help the team immediately - it's just that the UFA compensation is waaay too high to land a young stud like Zegras..

Also, if you want my opinion - perennial contenders are/become perennial contenders because they built their team through the draft and drafted players with potential that can be molded into players that can play roles every great team needs to be a complete team, and complete teams win Cups..

In my opinion, great GM's don't think about "now" er the present unless they're the GM of a contending team looking to get better so those GM's are usually more than willing to give up picks, prospects and other future assets to make their team even better NOW - but a great GM who's team is still rebuilding or not quite on that contending level just yet rely on their foresight and patience and think 2-3 or 4 years down the road and envision what their team/roster will look like if their prospects pan out, and become the players they have the potential to be, and the player the team needs them to be - but obviously that takes time, and time creates cohesion, and cohesion forms chemistry and after a few years you'll have a team which every player knows their role, and what they need to do to win hockey games...

As for the Blackhawks and the 23-24 season, it will be a very interesting one - I'm confident they should contend for a playoff spot in 2025-26, but the 23-24 season should be all about observation and "assessment" and letting the scouting staff and GM do their job and identify the weaknesses and holes this team has, and what areas the Hawks need to improve on and what they need to do to be better and get better and if the solution isn't already in the system, then the resolution can be found either through the draft, trade or free agency to hopefully improve on those weaknesses/holes - if not solve those issues entirely, and sometimes those solutions are already in the system and usually the brass just don't know it...

That's just my .02 cents after seeing numerous successful and unsuccessful rebuilds over the many moons I've been watching the sport... Also, a rebuild should only take between 3 to 5 years - and 5 years is max, and if any rebuild is going into year 5 with little improvement then you need to fire the GM and deeply vet the scouting staff.... It it matters - the "worst" or "most dysfunctional" rebuild I have ever witnessed was Edmonton. I mean they're finally a respectable team now, and I'd certainly say they're a contender, but how long did it take, again? right!... It's almost like Edmonton became a legitimate playoff team and perhaps pseudo-contender on accident, haha..

This is a pretty fun and interesting subject. Perhaps discussing rebuilds and rebuilding strategies along with the successful rebuilds and the failures should have it's own thread? because there is just so much nuance in the rebuilding process which I find very interesting as a self-proclaimed "hockey nut"..