Speculation: 2023-24 Free Agency/Trade Thread II

[Hockey Duckie]

Exactly somehow I still find myself max annoyed with the people who say “ we reset the rebuild” like Verbeek Lied to the Samuelis to get the job, then ended up taking a route that was off the original plan.

Detroit News on Feb 3, 2022 (When PV was hired by the Ducks)

"This team doesn't need to be rebuilt; they're in the middle of their rebuild, so this is a great opportunity to take this team forward and turn them into a contender," Verbeek said during his introductory press conference. "You don't have to come in there and look to take a long time. There's good players in the NHL, good players in the minors and there are players that have been drafted. There's a lot coming to support the growth of this team. That's truly what I'm excited about."

the Athletic on Oct 20, 2022

“It’s not fair … me coming in two, three months and then going with a new guy,” Verbeek said. “And in the sense that I just blew up the team (at the trade deadline). So I wanted to give him a chance. And it gave us an opportunity to get to know one another over the course of the offseason.

“So that’s kind of how the decision was made.”

 

[ohcomeonref]

As a fan, I'm not willing to trade any of our "depth up front" until some of that depth pans out and gets us out of the basement for team offense.

 

[Ducks DVM]

As a fan, I'm not willing to trade any of our "depth up front" until some of that depth pans out and gets out of the basement for team offense.

This. We don’t have a legitimate top 6. We have a low end top line RW, a solid middle 6 with some young players that we hope will be a legit top line/top 6 within 1-2 years, and a couple veteran middle 6 that we suspect will be bottom 6 within 1-2 years.

 

[bracer028]

As a fan, I'm not willing to trade any of our "depth up front" until some of that depth pans out and gets out of the basement for team offense.

In other words, we dont have an alpha male

 

[JAHV]

Ducks' Trevor Zegras, perhaps at a crossroads, reflects on a 'good 'ol battle of adversity'

After an injury-plagued season and endless trade speculation, it will be an interesting offseason for Zegras and the Ducks.

www.nytimes.com

Thank you.

I don't think anything Verbeek says or doesn't say will stop the rumors. Zegras has every characteristic you want in a trade rumor target:

- He's a good young player with an outgoing personality
- He plays in a small market where the team js currently struggling.
- He had a protracted contract negotiation.
- He's been benched by the coach and possibly is not the coach's "type".

Verbeek could have come out on any occasion and said "We're not trading Zegras. Period." First, that would have been dumb because he might very well trade Zegras if he gets a good enough offer, and then he looks like a fool. And two, the rumors wouldn't stop anyway because they're good for clicks and speculation.

It does suck for Zegras, and I hope Verbeek has reached out to him personally, but there just isn't anything he can do to control the media or the fans.

 

[All Mighty]

Verbeek could have come out on any occasion and said "We're not trading Zegras. Period." First, that would have been dumb because he might very well trade Zegras if he gets a good enough offer, and then he looks like a fool. And two, the rumors wouldn't stop anyway because they're good for clicks and speculation.

And third, if he were to come out and say that, it sets a dangerous precedent. If he did, then any time he gets asked a similar question about a player in the future, he will have to respond in a similar way or eyebrows would be raised because he didn’t defend X player like he did Zegras.

Imagine if he shut down the Zegras rumors, then the next day he is asked about trading McTavish and he just says “no comment.”

 

[70sSanO]

At the end of the day rumors are just that.

I think the biggest trade concern is getting Strome/Killorn PV and not Gauthier PV.

John

 

[Emerald Duck]

For some reason I don't think the trade rumors bother Zegras at all. He appears to be a very self confident person and player, and if anything, he's probably more bothered by the comments that he's selfish and one dimensional than being the center of attention in trade rumors.

It's one thing if the rumors are based on GM/coach's comments to the media and it's entirely different when other teams are inquiring about your availability because they want you on their team.

Zegras' agent probably cuts out every media clipping about demand for his client to use in the next negotiation.

 

[The Mighty Duck Man]

And third, if he were to come out and say that, it sets a dangerous precedent. If he did, then any time he gets asked a similar question about a player in the future, he will have to respond in a similar way or eyebrows would be raised because he didn’t defend X player like he did Zegras.

Imagine if he shut down the Zegras rumors, then the next day he is asked about trading McTavish and he just says “no comment.”

Then you also shut down McTavish rumors, how is this hard? In no way is it a “dangerous precedent”, there is no harm in denying trade rumors. It might not stop them, it often doesn’t, but even if it’s a total lie there’s virtually no downside.

 

[All Mighty]

Then you also shut down McTavish rumors, how is this hard? In no way is it a “dangerous precedent”, there is no harm in denying trade rumors. It might not stop them, it often doesn’t, but even if it’s a total lie there’s virtually no downside.

Well if it is a lie and you do trade them, then you lose quite a bit of trust with your players. Some GMs probably don’t care about that, but it’s not meaningless.

 

[Dr Johnny Fever]

Thank you.

I don't think anything Verbeek says or doesn't say will stop the rumors. Zegras has every characteristic you want in a trade rumor target:

- He's a good young player with an outgoing personality
- He plays in a small market where the team js currently struggling.
- He had a protracted contract negotiation.
- He's been benched by the coach and possibly is not the coach's "type".

Verbeek could have come out on any occasion and said "We're not trading Zegras. Period." First, that would have been dumb because he might very well trade Zegras if he gets a good enough offer, and then he looks like a fool. And two, the rumors wouldn't stop anyway because they're good for clicks and speculation.

It does suck for Zegras, and I hope Verbeek has reached out to him personally, but there just isn't anything he can do to control the media or the fans.

Well as I said in that post, I agree it's not possible for PV to tell him he won't be traded. And of course PV can't control the rumors but he can certainly talk with the player and try to calm the waters. However it got to this point, it has created an unpleasant/awkward situation. IMO, it is PV's job to do what he can to keep things positive within the organization however best he can. That's really the gist of my original comment.

 

[The Mighty Duck Man]

Well if it is a lie and you do trade them, then you lose quite a bit of trust with your players. Some GMs probably don’t care about that, but it’s not meaningless.

Do you? Unless he’s lying directly to the player(which he might be actually doing anyway) then I don’t see why that would happen. Players know how things go, they’re not going to lose faith because their GM denied a trade rumour. Especially if it’s easily explainable, which it always is.

But while we’re talking about player relations, how is any of this better than letting trade speculation build? Players typically hate it, Zegras himself said it bothered him, yet the play is to let it spread? I barely understand this thinking if Verbeek is shopping him, but people seriously think it’s a good idea if he doesn’t want to trade him? How?

 

[Son of Gib]

Then you also shut down McTavish rumors, how is this hard? In no way is it a “dangerous precedent”, there is no harm in denying trade rumors. It might not stop them, it often doesn’t, but even if it’s a total lie there’s virtually no downside.

I don't think you understood the point being made. What if those McTavish rumors WERE true? Now he's forced to say "no comment", which auto-confirms to the whole world that he IS in fact being traded (since he adamantly shot down the ones before), OR he can lie, which makes anything he says in the future meaningless.

So basically you're saying he should be oathbound to confirm or deny any rumor. Sounds like a great way to GM.

God I hate the off-season.

 

[The Mighty Duck Man]

I don't think you understood the point being made. What if those McTavish rumors WERE true? Now he's forced to say "no comment", which auto-confirms to the whole world that he IS in fact being traded (since he adamantly shot down the ones before), OR he can lie, which makes anything he says in the future meaningless.

So basically you're saying he should be oathbound to confirm or deny any rumor. Sounds like a great way to GM.

God I hate the off-season.

No I thought I’ve been pretty clear that you should just always deny it. GMs lie all the time and it’s never been an issue. Marc Bergevin once denied a player asked for a trade the same day that players agent confirmed it was true, no one cared. I especially think you should deny a rumour that isn’t true.

I also don’t get the logic that you can’t deny a rumor because then people will over analyze how you answered a question about a different player in a different way. Uhhh, that’s what people are doing now with that LeBrun article.

 

[DavidBL]

No I thought I’ve been pretty clear that you should just always deny it. GMs lie all the time and it’s never been an issue. Marc Bergevin once denied a player asked for a trade the same day that players agent confirmed it was true, no one cared. I especially think you should deny a rumour that isn’t true.

I also don’t get the logic that you can’t deny a rumor because then people will over analyze how you answered a question about a different player in a different way. Uhhh, that’s what people are doing now with that LeBrun article.

Didn't he deny them at the end of the year? That's how I understood it. Does he really need to every time someone asks?

 

[JAHV]

Well as I said in that post, I agree it's not possible for PV to tell him he won't be traded. And of course PV can't control the rumors but he can certainly talk with the player and try to calm the waters. However it got to this point, it has created an unpleasant/awkward situation. IMO, it is PV's job to do what he can to keep things positive within the organization however best he can. That's really the gist of my original comment.

I get that, but we have no idea how uncomfortable it is. It's possible Verbeek's done things behind the scenes to make it as comfortable as possible for Zegras. And ultimately, he can't control the external factors.

I think the rumors are tiresome like everyone else, but I just don't know what can be done about them once they start. These things tend to snowball.

 

[JAHV]

Do you? Unless he’s lying directly to the player(which he might be actually doing anyway) then I don’t see why that would happen. Players know how things go, they’re not going to lose faith because their GM denied a trade rumour. Especially if it’s easily explainable, which it always is.

But while we’re talking about player relations, how is any of this better than letting trade speculation build? Players typically hate it, Zegras himself said it bothered him, yet the play is to let it spread? I barely understand this thinking if Verbeek is shopping him, but people seriously think it’s a good idea if he doesn’t want to trade him? How?

Do you want Verbeek to send assassins to media members who dare bring up trade rumors about his players? They're not going to stop if he flat denies anything. Why? Because any time a GM calls Verbeek and says they're interested in Zegras, that team's front office can leak it to the media and the rumor mill starts all over again.

You talk about "letting trade speculation build" as if Verbeek has the shut off valve at his disposal. He does not.

 

[The Mighty Duck Man]

Didn't he deny them at the end of the year? That's how I understood it. Does he really need to every time someone asks?

Did he? I must have missed that. But also I really don’t get some of these arguments now if he did do that.

And yeah, I imagine it would get tiresome but if a prominent national reporter like Pierre LeBrun asks then I think that’s a pretty good time to deny it again.

 

[The Mighty Duck Man]

Do you want Verbeek to send assassins to media members who dare bring up trade rumors about his players? They're not going to stop if he flat denies anything. Why? Because any time a GM calls Verbeek and says they're interested in Zegras, that team's front office can leak it to the media and the rumor mill starts all over again.

You talk about "letting trade speculation build" as if Verbeek has the shut off valve at his disposal. He does not.

Well I figure the options aren’t limited to doing nothing and mass murder. He might not be able to stop it but you know what really doesn’t stop trade speculation? Saying nothing. Steve Staios forcefully pushed back on the Brady Tkachuk rumors and they’re certainly a lot quieter now.

 

[All Mighty]

It was nice knowing you all.

 

[Arthuros]

It was nice knowing you all.

Quick, everyone masquerade as Sharks fans and post awful trade ideas for Grier to steal.

 

[Leonardo87]

It was nice knowing you all.

Welp, I'm getting fired tomorrow.

 

[Zegs2sendhelp]

Welp, I'm getting fired tomorrow.

Due to budget cuts, and your high mod salary… we’re gunna have to let you go

 

[WhatTheDuck]

Welp, I'm getting fired tomorrow.

Traded to Reddit for future considerations

 

[Hockey Duckie]

In other words, we dont have an alpha male

We don't know if we have alpha males b/c right now they're still in alpha ducklings mode. They're top-10 picks as proof they're alpha ducklings. It's gonna take some to see how it all sorts out still.