Speculation: 2024-25 - Free Agency/Trade Thread

[Leonardo87]

Can’t get upset for every trade Anaheim didn’t make. I just don’t think Laine was the answer. Feel like there is more to the story about his health or the return wouldn’t be so lackluster.

 

[Trojans86]

A majority of the kids had their first full pro season last year in C Carlsson, LD Minty, LD/RD LaCombe, G Dostal, and, to a lesser extent, LD/RD Zellweger. LW/C Cutter and RD Luneau are still waiting on their full NHL debuts. First timer pros in the AHL last year were C Gaucher, LD/RD Hinds, F Pastujov, RW Caulfield, LW Nesterenko, G Clang, and G Suchanek. Although, I think I missed a few names. RW Colangelo, RD Warren, F Sidorov, and possibly F Pitre will be rookies in the AHL next season.

The youth movement in the NHL preceding all those players are Zegras and McTavish. Last year was Zegras' full third season in the NHL and it was Mac's sophomore season. I don't see Terry as part of the youth movement.

I don't comprehend this "I'm very much over waiting for the kids to figure it out" when the majority haven't had the time to figure it out at the NHL level. This season is another developmental year to help them figure it out. We are starting year 3 of the reset rebuild. It's going how I imagine a rebuild would be when Verbeek went scorched Earth.

People just get tired of losing. The reality is the only way to build a cup contender is through finding a lot of talent in the draft and waiting for them to develop, which is exactly what we are doing. It’s a tough pill to swallow but we are doing this rebuild exactly as we should. One of the biggest mistakes would be trying to get out of our rebuild too fast.

 

[DavidBL]

You realize it takes two to tango right? Every report points to PV being active.

I do, and it's nice that he's trying, but at the end of day he has to figure out how to actually do it. "I did my best" doesn't erase the lack of results.

 

[SmokeyDuck]

I do, and it's nice that he's trying, but at the end of day he has to figure out how to actually do it. "I did my best" doesn't erase the lack of results.

Ill repeat it takes two to tango. You cant just will shit into happening because "trying isnt enough". Overreacting because plan A failed is even worse.

 

[HanSolo]

People just get tired of losing. The reality is the only way to build a cup contender is through finding a lot of talent in the draft and waiting for them to develop, which is exactly what we are doing. It’s a tough pill to swallow but we are doing this rebuild exactly as we should. One of the biggest mistakes would be trying to get out of our rebuild too fast.

Especially with how many idiotic long term contracts with high cap dollars were shelled out to guys past 30 this summer. Sure some value contracts were out there but just because some guys were available doesn't mean they wanted to come to Anaheim. The reality Verbeek may need to build this team more out of the draft and trade.Trade excess futures for established roster players. When the team starts winning games again, it'll be easier to pull depth guys out of FA to build around the core.

Losing sucks. Losing for this long really sucks. But this is the cycle all teams have to go through at some point or another. Bigger name markets are no exception.

 

[DavidBL]

Ill repeat it takes two to tango. You cant just will shit into happening because "trying isnt enough". Overreacting because plan A failed is even worse.

Except this wasn't plan A. If you assume he had more than one ufa D target it's like plan F.

 

[ohcomeonref]

It's really a can't-lose proposition for Montreal. They have the kind of bankroll and ownership where if there's any hint Laine is affecting team chemistry negatively or is performing terribly they can just sit him and not worry about the nearly 9 million for 2 years. The Ducks can't/shouldn't be taking risks like that although I'd have liked giving him a shot. I'm certainly not butthurt we didn't get him though.

 

[tomd]

It's really a can't-lose proposition for Montreal. They have the kind of bankroll and ownership where if there's any hint Laine is affecting team chemistry negatively or is performing terribly they can just sit him and not worry about the nearly 9 million for 2 years. The Ducks can't/shouldn't be taking risks like that although I'd have liked giving him a shot. I'm certainly not butthurt we didn't get him though.

Considering how cheaply he went for and the fact that he was traded to a conference rival, I suspect that Montreal was the only team seriously looking at him...and only if they could get him basically for free.

 

[duckpuck]

Can't say I'm not disappointed given the price.

Holy double negative batman. Made my head explode.

Can’t get upset for every trade Anaheim didn’t make. I just don’t think Laine was the answer. Feel like there is more to the story about his health or the return wouldn’t be so lackluster.

I agree we can't get upset for every trade we miss out on. However, we can and should get upset given the lack of a trade in the past 2-3 weeks - when the ducks have expressly been looking to add and many useful players have been traded. The ducks have completely whiffed in acquiring players or weaponizing their cap space. whereas teams like Montreal and SJS have been very smart in acquiring veteran plays and draft capital (not to mention Laine).

 

[MMC]

Holy double negative batman. Made my head explode.

I agree we can't get upset for every trade we miss out on. However, we can and should get upset given the lack of a trade in the past 2-3 weeks - when the ducks have expressly been looking to add and many useful players have been traded. The ducks have completely whiffed in acquiring players or weaponizing their cap space. whereas teams like Montreal and SJS have been very smart in acquiring veteran plays and draft capital (not to mention Laine).

I must be missing something because I don’t see the “many useful players that have been traded in the past 2-3 weeks”

 

[Hockey Duckie]

People just get tired of losing. The reality is the only way to build a cup contender is through finding a lot of talent in the draft and waiting for them to develop, which is exactly what we are doing. It’s a tough pill to swallow but we are doing this rebuild exactly as we should. One of the biggest mistakes would be trying to get out of our rebuild too fast.

Therein lies the problem. People see the six years playoff disappearance, but not realize Verbeek went scorched earth in his reset rebuild at the 2021-22 TDL. I was prepared for a 5-year rebuild when Verbeek reset the rebuild. We are only "entering" year 3 of the Verbeek reset rebuild.

We have only two youths that have played two full seasons or more at the NHL level in Zegras and Mac since we went into our original rebuild under Murray that started at the 2018-19 TDL. Our saviors or stars will have to come from our prospects as well as finding the correct coaching group, which is why we all should be prepared for at least a 5-year wait period under the Verbeek reset rebuild.

 

[slippingsloth]

understand the idea that this is only year 3. But at what point do you think we are a 500 borderline team rather than a bottom scraper? I am not expecting a cup in 2 years but i feel like a points percentage closer to 500 should be coming sooner rather than later.

 

[tomd]

understand the idea that this is only year 3. But at what point do you think we are a 500 borderline team rather than a bottom scraper? I am not expecting a cup in 2 years but i feel like a points percentage closer to 500 should be coming sooner rather than later.

It looks to me like the bottom 4 teams from last year will be the same bottom 4 for 24/25 with Calgary poised to make a guest appearance. That said, I think Anaheim, Chicago, and SJ will get more points than they had last year while Columbus and Calgary will be worse.

 

[All Mighty]

Jordan Schmaltz is usually reliable with these things.

 

[Hamilton Bulldogs]

understand the idea that this is only year 3. But at what point do you think we are a 500 borderline team rather than a bottom scraper? I am not expecting a cup in 2 years but i feel like a points percentage closer to 500 should be coming sooner rather than later.

Nobody really knows. This core could be in the playoffs next year or they could be in the playoffs in 3 years and there's also the possibly that the core never really breaks through and we're asking these same questions in 5 years.

At this point its mostly on the young kids to get it going because I'm not sure anyone has faith in majority of the vets on the roster to be difference makers, hell it would be nice if the vets on the rosters could show the slightest sign of leadership at this point.

 

[Rasp]

Great value trade for Montreal. Would have been nice if we could have done that but the fact Laine is going so cheap means there is some serious baggage

 

[70sSanO]

Nobody really knows. This core could be in the playoffs next year or they could be in the playoffs in 3 years and there's also the possibly that the core never really breaks through and we're asking these same questions in 5 years.

At this point its mostly on the young kids to get it going because I'm not sure anyone has faith in majority of the vets on the roster to be difference makers, hell it would be nice if the vets on the rosters could show the slightest sign of leadership at this point.

This year’s success or failure will rest squarely on Cronin. He should be able to get a lot more out of the team than last year.

We should be in more games and be able to get more chances. If we are just as befuddled it is all on him.

John

 

[JAHV]

That just seems odd to me. Just because PV wasn't in charge doesn't mean the assets acquired during that time frame shouldn't matter, or at the very least matter less because they weren't his picks. He still inherited at least 3 building block assets out of those years. Of course my personal frustrations don't matter to the team. This is a place to voice our opinions and frankly I think the job PVs done is questionable and just because he took over 3 years into a rebuild doesn't negate those 3 years, IMO.
As for being In a position to "go for it," I can't say I agree with the mentality. I've never really understood what the expectation is there. We shouldn't add good players until the kids prove they're ready? That is something that they will struggle with without good veteran support/guidance. We're doing these players a disservice. Are they reasonable expectations or are we setting them up to fail? And if they fail we're just setting ourselves back in the rebuild.
At the end if the day PV is responsible for the team that gets put on the ice. Eventually he has to be held accountable for that. To me hoping your kids take steps as a building strategy is flawed at best.

We weren't 3 years into a rebuild. We were zero years into a rebuild because Murray hadn't started rebuilding.

We need the kids to take steps. That's what a rebuild is. I don't understand how that's a flawed strategy.

 

[DavidBL]

We weren't 3 years into a rebuild. We were zero years into a rebuild because Murray hadn't started rebuilding.

We need the kids to take steps. That's what a rebuild is. I don't understand how that's a flawed strategy.

Whether people want to admit it or not Murray was rebuilding. He just didn't tear it down. Are we really surprised that Terry and Z had their best years while the Getzlaf and the team were more competitive? It's not like Getzlaf was that great in his final years. Yes we need the kids to take steps but we're not giving them the tools/support to do so. We were hoping they figure it out on their own in a losing environment. Thats a good strategy?

 

[Deuce22]

Whether people want to admit it or not Murray was rebuilding. He just didn't tear it down. Are we really surprised that Terry and Z had their best years while the Getzlaf and the team were more competitive? It's not like Getzlaf was that great in his final years. Yes we need the kids to take steps but we're not giving them the tools/support to do so. We were hoping they figure it out on their own in a losing environment. Thats a good strategy?

You can't properly rebuild unless you tear it down. Picks very high in the draft aren't available to teams that hold onto some decent vets in order to be mediocre.

 

[Smirnov2Chistov]

Can't say I'm not disappointed given the price. Have to say l, I'm very much over waiting for the kids to figure it out. I know they're preaching patience but we littlerally did nothing to actually improve the team outside of HOPING the kids take steps. Rico for Fabri is a downgrade and is Dumoulin actually better than Lyubushkin? He plays the wrong side. I just don't see how this is an acceptable offseason so far.

Don’t worry. Verbeek will probably grab another Cronin project who will be worthless in the end

We weren't 3 years into a rebuild. We were zero years into a rebuild because Murray hadn't started rebuilding.

We need the kids to take steps. That's what a rebuild is. I don't understand how that's a flawed strategy.

Murray has been gone for quite a while now. Can’t be blaming him!

This year’s success or failure will rest squarely on Cronin. He should be able to get a lot more out of the team than last year.

We should be in more games and be able to get more chances. If we are just as befuddled it is all on him.

John

There’s zero evidence Cronin knows what he’s doing. They play uninspired hockey

 

[Son of Gib]

Are people forgetting that when Verbeek stepped in, he said we were halfway through the rebuild?

 

[SmokeyDuck]

Great value trade for Montreal. Would have been nice if we could have done that but the fact Laine is going so cheap means there is some serious baggage

Yeah there has be something wrong if they had to pay to get rid of Laine. Makes me wonder. I wouldnt be surprised to see him do well in MTL.

 

[duckpuck]

I must be missing something because I don’t see the “many useful players that have been traded in the past 2-3 weeks”

Patrick Laine is a useful player (with flaws). Given the price he was traded at, the ducks should have been in that deal.

Podkolzin was worth a flyer (aka 4th round pick).

Cody Cici would have been a nice depth pickup (together with the 3rd round pick that was attached to him). He would add size and experience and the the ducks would trade him for "something" at the deadline. Zero cost to acquire him.

Matt Savoie was probably worth taking a flyer on although that was a more of a hockey trade.

Cody Glass is a useful player who was basically given away - though I can understand why the ducks didn't trade for him.

Bottom line, the Sharks and Montreal found a way to accumulate assets by taking on player contracts - and not for the first time. The ducks did not and generally have not to the extent they should have. Pretty inexcusable for the ducks to have not used more of their cap space last year and that trend is continuing.

Whether people want to admit it or not Murray was rebuilding. He just didn't tear it down. Are we really surprised that Terry and Z had their best years while the Getzlaf and the team were more competitive? It's not like Getzlaf was that great in his final years. Yes we need the kids to take steps but we're not giving them the tools/support to do so. We were hoping they figure it out on their own in a losing environment. Thats a good strategy?

At the risk of having a certain poster rush in to defend Murray, I have to say this is simply not true. You can't rebuild without tearing it down.

If Murray was rebuilding, he would not have held on to Hamphus, Rackell, Manson, and a few other guys (probably should add Gibson to that list and maybe Getz too). He held them too long and the ducks: (i) lost a ton of draft capital; and (ii) remained mediocre for 2+ extra years, thereby delaying the rebuild. I'd also note that the Silf and Henrique contracts were overpays at the wrong time.

 

[SmokeyDuck]

Patrick Laine is a useful player (with flaws). Given the price he was traded at, the ducks should have been in that deal.

Podkolzin was worth a flyer (aka 4th round pick).

Cody Cici would have been a nice depth pickup (together with the 3rd round pick that was attached to him). He would add size and experience and the the ducks would trade him for "something" at the deadline. Zero cost to acquire him.

Matt Savoie was probably worth taking a flyer on although that was a more of a hockey trade.

Cody Glass is a useful player who was basically given away - though I can understand why the ducks didn't trade for him.

Bottom line, the Sharks and Montreal found a way to accumulate assets by taking on player contracts - and not for the first time. The ducks did not and generally have not to the extent they should have. Pretty inexcusable for the ducks to have not used more of their cap space last year and that trend is continuing.



At the risk of having a certain poster rush in to defend Murray, I have to say this is simply not true. You can't rebuild without tearing it down.

If Murray was rebuilding, he would not have held on to Hamphus, Rackell, Manson, and a few other guys (probably should add Gibson to that list and maybe Getz too). He held them too long and the ducks: (i) lost a ton of draft capital; and (ii) remained mediocre for 2+ extra years, thereby delaying the rebuild. I'd also note that the Silf and Henrique contracts were overpays at the wrong time.

I'd pass on every one of those cept maybe Laine but I find it rather odd how little he went for so maybe we are better off without.