Speculation: 2024-25 - Free Agency/Trade Thread

[Hockey Duckie]

Yea, he was thrown to the wolves as a sacrificial player( where as we allowed minty and zellwegger to play where they needed to play for proper development ) also, he has some value so of course we sign so we can trade him…

And he held up good enough to allow Verbeek to trade away Drysdale for Cutter.

Also this from THN, Ducks:

Head coach Greg Cronin picked out LaCombe as the player he thinks has improved the most since the start of the season. LaCombe is currently averaging nearly 20 minutes of ice time per game and is regularly a part of the penalty kill as well.​

 

[Zegs2sendhelp]

Mintyukov-Gudas
Fowler-Zellweger
Dumolin-LaCombe
Vaakanainen
?

That defense doesn’t even include Luneau and the combinations still make little sense. Another move is coming

I’m only trading LaCombe right now if I can get a forward prospect with some legit potential. It’s a bit early to be giving up on LaCombe for scraps

Trading lacombe only makes sense if its part of a bigger package... but then again who else do we move. Minyukov/Zellweger/Gudas shouldnt be moved... would be weird to trade for dumolin just to move him.... vaaks we literally just resigned cant see him being moved.

Hell as much as id love to move fowler... i dont think we can just based on cap floor.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

I dont mind a developmental season, its expected .... but i would like to see us try to improve a little on the roster and not just from the young guys getting better.

Last year was a developmental season but we added Gudas + Killorn

We did has [sign] Harkins and Dumo so far this off-season.

edit: thinking too quickly without proofreading

 

[MMC]

Next year's expiring deadline bait currently includes Vatrano, Dumoulin, Leason, and Vaakanainen, with Fowler and Gudas each having 1 additional season remaining.

Essentially a repeat of last year with Vatrano likely being a 1st+, a 3rd for Dumo, and you see if anyone pays a premium for 2 playoff runs of Fowler at $3.25M and Gudas at $2M.

 

[Zegs2sendhelp]

What's your basis for the belief the team is hellbent to get him out of here?

Me saying hellbent was prob a little bit on the me being frustrated with the team right now.... i prob should have said more on the lines of

Theres def smoke on the situation, whether any of us want to agree or not. Contract negotiations were not very smooth... ive generally felt like the team has been a lot harder on Zegras than any of the other young players. The 3 year bridge does kinda worry me a bit. Its a lot of little things added up and makes you kinda wonder.

All of it could just be coincidence, but i think there is enough there to justify discussing the possibility. We also dont really know whos at fault, maybe zegras is at fault. I dont think anyone really has a feel on PV and what he wants to do.

 

[Ducksforcup]

Next year's expiring deadline bait currently includes Vatrano, Dumoulin, Leason, and Vaakanainen, with Fowler and Gudas each having 1 additional season remaining.

Essentially a repeat of last year with Vatrano likely being a 1st+, a 3rd for Dumo, and you see if anyone pays a premium for 2 playoff runs of Fowler at $3.25M and Gudas at $2M.

Man I hope not.

I am so good with having deadlines like that.

 

[Zegs2sendhelp]

We did has Harkins and Dumo so far this off-season.

I watch a pretty good amount of hockey outside of the ducks... and when i saw we signed harkns i couldnt tell you what team he was from, what position he played or what nation he represented.

 

[MMC]

Man I hope not.

I am so good with having deadlines like that.

Even if we are in a playoff spot and end up making it, could see us taking calls and possibly pulling the trigger on a move for any of those guys if our young guys take steps to make them obsolete on our roster

 

[robbieboy3686]

And he held up good enough to allow Verbeek to trade away Drysdale for Cutter.

Also this from THN, Ducks:

Head coach Greg Cronin picked out LaCombe as the player he thinks has improved the most since the start of the season. LaCombe is currently averaging nearly 20 minutes of ice time per game and is regularly a part of the penalty kill as well.​

I will be very happy to be wrong on him.

 

[MMC]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1808250519380808090

 

[robbieboy3686]

I watch a pretty good amount of hockey outside of the ducks... and when i saw we signed harkns i couldnt tell you what team he was from, what position he played or what nation he represented.

I hadn’t heard of him either. Tbh

 

[Zegs2sendhelp]

So what other cap casualties/ teams with cap issues should we be lookin into.

Aves prob need help... i wouldnt mind Ross Colton in our bottom6 (weve already discussed manson)

 

[Boo Boo]

That's why they drafted him, played him in 70+ games, and qualified him, right?

Drafted In the early second too . He’s not found money. They invested a lot of draft capital and development in him too

Cutting lacombe loose this early would be such a waste. I almost guarantee he would blossom just like all our other defenders did after they leave our team

 

[Hockey Duckie]

Mintyukov-Gudas
Fowler-Zellweger
Dumolin-LaCombe
Vaakanainen
?

That defense doesn’t even include Luneau and the combinations still make little sense. Another move is coming

I’m only trading LaCombe right now if I can get a forward prospect with some legit potential. It’s a bit early to be giving up on LaCombe for scraps

It makes sense if we're developing youth into their 2nd season into the NHL.

For PK purposes, Zell is not a PK'er for the right side. Gudas and Lacombe can patrol the right side. Dumo and Fowler/Minty can play the left side.

I'd change the pairing up a little b/c Zell isn't great defensively just yet.

Fowler-LaCombe
Minty-Gudas
Dumo-Zell
Vaak

Zell	Splits
Game Set	Games	G	A	Pts		+/-	Hits	Blocks	Comments
Total	26	2	7	9		-6	14	38	total
1st call up	3	0	1	1		0	3	5	3rd pair
2nd call up	23	2	6	8		-6	11	33	1st pair

Zell picked up a couple of +/- during the 2nd call-up thanks to LaCombe winning pucks on his end and getting off the ice quickly. Zell would come onto the ice as the team scores. Sticking Zell with a defensive-minded D like Dumo and limited on the 3rd pairing will help Zell moving forward defensively.

 

[duxfan1101]

So what other cap casualties/ teams with cap issues should we be lookin into.

Aves prob need help... i wouldnt mind Ross Colton in our bottom6 (weve already discussed manson)

Ceci

 

[JAHV]

Ceci

I hope you were starting to say, "Cecilia is my favorite Simon & Garfunkel song" and you just got cut off. You definitely were NOT suggesting Cody Ceci as an option for us on the blue line.

Unless you're suggesting we acquire him and banish him to San Diego. I could get behind that.

 

[Static]

Ceci

Why do you wish this upon us

 

[duxfan1101]

I hope you were starting to say, "Cecilia is my favorite Simon & Garfunkel song" and you just got cut off. You definitely were NOT suggesting Cody Ceci as an option for us on the blue line.

Unless you're suggesting we acquire him and banish him to San Diego. I could get behind that.

Why do you wish this upon us

He asked for cap dumps, I gave him one! What would the Oilers have to give us for either of you to consider taking him off their hands?

 

[Zegs2sendhelp]

Why do you wish this upon us

I feel like Laine/Pinto/Kakko are guys well prob aim at up front, if any of the pinto stuff is true.

Ross colton would be an ice depth piece

I feel like were basically done on defense unless some unforeseen trade happens.

 

[Arthuros]

Why do you wish this upon us

I have witnessed this atrocity of a man across 3 teams now.

You don't want Ceci.

 

[The Duck Knight]

So what other cap casualties/ teams with cap issues should we be lookin into.

Aves prob need help... i wouldnt mind Ross Colton in our bottom6 (weve already discussed manson)

If the Leafs don't move Marner they probably need to move Liljegren or Jarnkrok. Caps- TVR/Bear. Preds-Fabbro/Glass. Oilers- Kane/Ceci.

Think the Avs are fine because Landy may not ever come back and Val's deal is supposedly prorated based on when he comes of suspension.

All that said I don't think a pure dump is coming, unless it's also involving Gibson. I think Laine for Lacombe+ makes a ton of sense. Columbus needs NHL D. Laine doesn't have huge value and we can take his full hit.

 

[duxfan1101]

I have witnessed this atrocity of a man across 3 teams now.

You don't want Ceci.

I obviously wouldn’t take him for free, but the Oilers pretty much have to trade him so you should theoretically get a decent asset for helping them out.

 

[Static]

He asked for cap dumps, I gave him one! What would the Oilers have to give us for either of you to consider taking him off their hands?

An empty sweater

 

[The Mighty Duck Man]

Why do you wish this upon us

Ceci gets maligned but he was playing 18 minutes a night in the cup final merely weeks ago and was a major piece of the best PK of the entire playoffs. I think the third worst team in the league could fit him in.

 

[Static]

I wonder if whitecloud in vegas would be available. Maybe not if Pietro really is on the block (doubtful).