Speculation: 2024-25 - Free Agency/Trade Thread

[Son of Gib]

Maybe he’ll be useful. Maybe he won’t. But just for argument’s sake, let’s say you can get him and a ‘26 1st for Vaaks. I don’t even know if you even need to do that. But if that happens, is there really a big difference? If Ceci sucks, big deal, as long as there’s no understanding that he needs to play every night.

Vaaks is probably looking at rotating in and out of the lineup as it stands. If we have Ceci as the 6/7 instead of him, the team probably isn’t much worse if at all. And even if it is a little worse, it’s made up by a future first round pick tenfold. It’s not like we’re on the verge of Cup contention and we’re throwing it away. There’s no savior RHD waiting to come in that we’re giving up the opportunity on acquiring if we make a move with the Oilers.

But in any case, the point of my original reply was responding to the fact that you said you were tired of tanking for future picks. I’m not sure there’s any scenario where exchanging Vaaks or someone like that for Ceci and a first constitutes as tanking.

I agree it would be a shrewd move (at this point). And it wouldn't be tanking per say, but I'm bummed that it would signal to players and fans alike that this is yet another throw away season. Psychologically, we need to be done with that now, even if we don't make playoffs.

 

[All Mighty]

I wonder how much of that is on Madden and how much is on the player development staff and the decisions made on when to bring guys up. It's probably a combination. But we've seen guys from those drafts have success, sometimes briefly in Anaheim before flaming out (Comtois), sometimes with other teams (Steel, Mahura to an extent).

Not to exonerate Madden who almost certainly had some picks he'd like to do over during that period, but I was skeptical of Todd Marchant's reign as the Director of Player Development. I felt like we consistently were praised for solid picks in the draft, saw those guys succeed in juniors or in college, and then they promptly fizzled once they got into Anaheim's system. I don't think Marchant was great in that role.

I definitely think there is something to this. Johnson’s background makes him more cut out for that role than Marchant was.

 

[Anaheim4ever]

Pretty amazing at drafting goalies as well. Totally agree on finding forwards outside the top-10 was terrible, but that's actually on par with most teams. This is why we were often ranked in the top-10 for prospect pool rankings.

As for Pro Scouting, it's kinda difficult to ding Murray on that since his teams were playoffs teams in eight out of 10 years before going on the rebuild at the 2018-19 TDL. He found enough veteran talents to make the playoffs as well as make the WCF twice. His late additions of Kesler, Rico, and Eaves were a boon when healthy, but Kesler and Eaves got wrecked medically after the final WCF appearance in 2016-17.

Bob was an amateur scout for Vancouver when they drafted Kesler so they didn't need to do much pro scouting for a player he already was a big fan of. Bob probably sold the Flyers org on Drysdale and probably smiled when Gauthier (who has kesler vibes) was sent to Anaheim, a player who trains with Kesler and Bieska. Would be funny if Bob is still helping the Ducks out.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

Bob was an amateur scout for Vancouver when they drafted Kesler so they didn't need to do much pro scouting for a player he already was a big fan of. Bob probably sold the Flyers org on Drysdale and probably smiled when Gauthier (who has kesler vibes) was sent to Anaheim, a player who trains with Kesler and Bieska. Would be funny if Bob is still helping the Ducks out.

Nick Ritchie was a top-10 pick from amateur scouting, but I'm pretty sure the pro scouting dept would stay away from Nick. A prospect still needs to produce at the pro levels.

With the Drysdale-Cutter trade, I thought we overpaid when we added the 2025 2nd round pick at the time of the trade. That isn't Murray helping us out. ha!

 

[70sSanO]

Nick Ritchie was a top-10 pick from amateur scouting, but I'm pretty sure the pro scouting dept would stay away from Nick. A prospect still needs to produce at the pro levels.

With the Drysdale-Cutter trade, I thought we overpaid when we added the 2025 2nd round pick at the time of the trade. That isn't Murray helping us out. ha!

This trade is too soon to evaluate winners/losers.

If Gauthier turns into a star and Drysdale struggles, most people will see us as winners. If the reverse, Flyers win. If equal, then overpayment comes into play.

Overpayment with a 2nd is dependent on how that pick develops, or any additional assets that pick is associated. If for the Flyers it is a bust, it becomes a hindsight what if for Ducks fans. At that point hindsight woulda-coulda is the mantra.

John

 

[robbieboy3686]

This trade is too soon to evaluate winners/losers.

If Gauthier turns into a star and Drysdale struggles, most people will see us as winners. If the reverse, Flyers win. If equal, then overpayment comes into play.

Overpayment with a 2nd is dependent on how that pick develops, or any additional assets that pick is associated. If for the Flyers it is a bust, it becomes a hindsight what if for Ducks fans. At that point hindsight woulda-coulda is the mantra.

John

This isn’t to soon at all. Drysdale continued his unfortunate trend of being injured. Recently jake and Felix sicard had mitch brown on their show. “ that’s all they got for cutter g” were his thoughts when the trade happened. And he echoed the same current thoughts of how he feels of the trade now . He breaks down drysdale as being a dman who excels at absolutely nothing other than skating, and also shared how given his age. We shouldn’t be projecting glassdale to become anything more than what he already is. Can’t say I disagree either.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

This trade is too soon to evaluate winners/losers.

If Gauthier turns into a star and Drysdale struggles, most people will see us as winners. If the reverse, Flyers win. If equal, then overpayment comes into play.

Overpayment with a 2nd is dependent on how that pick develops, or any additional assets that pick is associated. If for the Flyers it is a bust, it becomes a hindsight what if for Ducks fans. At that point hindsight woulda-coulda is the mantra.

John

I was never addressing winners or losers of the trade. I was addressing that at the time of the trade giving up a 2nd round pick with Drysdale is proof that Murray isn't helping out the Ducks. If Murray was helping out the Ducks, then the trade would have been just a straight swap of Drysdale for Cutter. It was a joking retort.

You are viewing what happens to the 2nd round pick once its traded to another team. What you are missing is also what the Ducks would be missing without that 2nd round pick.

Losing a 2nd round pick means we lost an asset that could have become something, especially if we're drafting a defenseman with that 2nd round pick. We have recent success with defensemen drafted in the 2nd round in LaCombe, Zellweger, and Luneau. Or we could use the 2nd round pick to help us move back into the 1st round if we package it with other picks. We used a 2nd rd pick with our late 1st round pick in this year's draft to select D Solberg. Or we could use that 2nd round pick to make a hockey trade.

 

[MMC]

Or we could use that 2nd round pick to make a hockey trade.

is that not exactly what we did?

 

[Smirnov2Chistov]

If we traded Vaakanainen or LaCombe for Ceci and a pick, we'd be getting marginally worse. Ceci is terrible. The only question is whether the pick would be worth it in a year that's not likely to end in the playoffs, and if we're likely to lose one of those two players in the near term anyway.

In other words, I'm not necessarily opposed to that kind of deal, but it had better be a 1st round pick coming back.

This is gold.

Vaakanainen is a steady defenseman but often injured. LaCombe is a decent defenseman who is now ‘stuck’ behind a bunch of left handed defenders. Ceci is better than both of them

I’m not saying Ceci will blow away everyone here, but being a RHD, we should be looking at acquiring him.

 

[MMC]

Ceci is better than both of them

by what metrics?

 

[MCB]

by what metrics?

Right-handedness

 

[All Mighty]

 

[Son of Gib]

Let em cook.

 

[lwvs84]

Make a "lowball" (something Verbeek would be comfortable offering) offer for Laine at full cap hit and just let the offer sit. Let them look around for a trade, if they find better they take it. If they don't, maybe they circle back around and Verbeek gets him cheap. This might be the ideal place for him, good weather, no pressure, and the depth to both play with competent players and not be a focal point.

 

[The Midnight Burrito]

Make a "lowball" (something Verbeek would be comfortable offering) offer for Laine at full cap hit and just let the offer sit. Let them look around for a trade, if they find better they take it. If they don't, maybe they circle back around and Verbeek gets him cheap. This might be the ideal place for him, good weather, no pressure, and the depth to both play with competent players and not be a focal point.

Do not want a guy who cracks in hockey pressure cookers like Columbus, Ohio.

 

[DavidBL]

Do not want a guy who cracks in hockey pressure cookers like Columbus, Ohio.

Somehow I doubt that is why he wants a trade.

 

[The Midnight Burrito]

Somehow I doubt that is why he wants a trade.

I was following the premise of the post I quoted. Regardless, the guy’s a mess, can’t settle anywhere, can’t get his shit together, don’t want him regardless of how steeply discounted he is.

 

[Dryish]

To point out though, I'm not sure it's fair to call Laine's mental issues "cracking" when it was caused by him suddenly losing his dad that he was super close to all his life. Combined with the effects of being traded and then suffering two separate injuries that hit him in a short span.

But he definitely isn't known for his mental fortitude, that's for sure.

 

[lwvs84]

Do not want a guy who cracks in hockey pressure cookers like Columbus, Ohio.

Not saying Columbus is high pressure, just that Anaheim isn't. Some of the offers on the main board are places like Montreal and Chicago where he'll be under a microscope. Out of the teams that can deal for him, Anaheim is one of the better situations.

 

[The Midnight Burrito]

To point out though, I'm not sure it's fair to call Laine's mental issues "cracking" when it was caused by him suddenly losing his dad that he was super close to all his life. Combined with the effects of being traded and then suffering two separate injuries that hit him in a short span.

But he definitely isn't known for his mental fortitude, that's for sure.

Again, the premise of the post I quoted. I definitely feel for the guy, don’t dislike him, 100% wish him the best and I’m glad the NHL has a program that allows people to get the support they need.

But I don’t want him here.

Not saying Columbus is high pressure, just that Anaheim isn't. Some of the offers on the main board are places like Montreal and Chicago where he'll be under a microscope. Out of the teams that can deal for him, Anaheim is one of the better situations.

Yeah from his perspective it’s probably a great option.

 

[Dryish]

Again, the premise of the post I quoted. I definitely feel for the guy, don’t dislike him, 100% wish him the best and I’m glad the NHL has a program that allows people to get the support they need.

But I don’t want him here.

Ah yeah, I see what you're quoting now, that's fair.

For my two cents, I think Laine could be one of those guys that you may have success taking a flier on, but he just as well might not. I am not terribly opposed to it if it comes with a length of a year or two tops — he has what, two years left on his contract? But absolutely not any longer than that, unless he proves tremendously successful and gels because, yeah, precedent shows he's not a safe long term bet or locker room presence.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

is that not exactly what we did?

We traded an NHL player for a prospect.

 

[70sSanO]

We traded an NHL player for a prospect.

I’d add “part-time” before NHL player until proven otherwise.

John

 

[MMC]

We traded an NHL player for a prospect.

I mean I guess technically yeah but this makes it sound like the motivation was to sell, whereas when I hear “hockey trade” (a term I can’t stand ftr), I think of a team trading from a surplus to fill a need which is what we did with that one

 

[All Mighty]