2025 NHL DRAFT

[Kat Predator]

If Trotz actually uses the two lower picks in the first round instead of bundling them with a prospect/player to get a 23-25 year old established good player, he’s a bigger idiot than I thought.

Brace yourself.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

If Trotz actually uses the two lower picks in the first round instead of bundling them with a prospect/player to get a 23-25 year old established good player, he’s a bigger idiot than I thought.

Sorry, what player on what team are we talking about trading for here? Trotz doesn't have to be an idiot for this to be an impossible thing to accomplish. (He may be an idiot, regardless - just it won't be because he uses the two picks in the draft). Other teams don't value these picks either.

There WILL be a few good NHL players taken at the bottom of this 1st round and into the top of the 2nd round. The trick is definitely going to be finding them. But if you take 3 kicks at the can, you triple your odds.

(Of course, the trick after that will then be to develop them and integrate them into the NHL correctly - but I refuse to accept that just because we have sucked at that for a long time we must therefore always to continue to suck at it. This can and must be fixed.)

 

[AtlantaWhaler]

If Trotz actually uses the two lower picks in the first round instead of bundling them with a prospect/player to get a 23-25 year old established good player, he’s a bigger idiot than I thought.

Takes two, though. Have to get someone else to agree that there's value in those picks.

 

[herzausstein]

Don't think we can get a young established player with our 1st unless there are other issues involved in them.

For example: Norris or Cozens. Cozens has cooled back off after his hot start in Ottawa and is back to a more realistic 53 point pace since joining his new team. Norris is perpetually broken and has only played 3 games since the trade. Younger players, established, but lots of red flags.

The draft is weak, cap his growing extremely fast so few teams will really be feeling the pinch.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Don't think we can get a young established player with our 1st unless there are other issues involved in them.

For example: Norris or Cozens. Cozens has cooled back off after his hot start in Ottawa and is back to a more realistic 53 point pace since joining his new team. Norris is perpetually broken and has only played 3 games since the trade. Younger players, established, but lots of red flags.

The draft is weak, cap his growing extremely fast so few teams will really be feeling the pinch.

If Anaheim still wants to trade Zegras, I'd certainly be listening. It's not going to be just for our nearly-worthless late 1sts though. Maybe one gets thrown in. I don't actually even know what we have to offer, frankly. Our main asset with any value is our top #3 OA pick. I don't think any of our other prospects or draft picks or players really move the needle in any such trade?

It depends on how badly the other team wants to get rid of him, of course, but then the problem comes in that there are a TON of teams with Cap space out there, and tons of teams who have better assets to offer. So it's a wide open playing field for any such younger players who might actually be available. And we're not in a very good position to submit a winning bid.

 

[Roman Yoshi]

Tired: bundling picks for a player who can improve our team.

Wired: getting picks for taking on a few years of bad contracts while we build through the draft.

 

[herzausstein]

The roster is kind of in a weird place. I don't see any point in spending assets to try and make the playoffs in the next two seasons BUT if it is for a younger piece that has long term implications for this team then by all means go for it.

End of the day, almost everyone at the top of the lineup is entering the sunset of their careers.

Ror, stamkos, marchy, josi mid 30s
Forsberg, saros, skjei, Bunting, Sissons, saros early 30s

This team is going to have to make a move to get younger. You can't have all the trusted players at the top of the lineup being above 30 and a healthy chunk of them 35. Unfortunately, I think we have managed to kill the perceived trade value of almost every one of those players.

 

[Bye Bye Blueston]

If Anaheim still wants to trade Zegras, I'd certainly be listening. It's not going to be just for our nearly-worthless late 1sts though. Maybe one gets thrown in. I don't actually even know what we have to offer, frankly. Our main asset with any value is our top #3 OA pick. I don't think any of our other prospects or draft picks or players really move the needle in any such trade?

It depends on how badly the other team wants to get rid of him, of course, but then the problem comes in that there are a TON of teams with Cap space out there, and tons of teams who have better assets to offer. So it's a wide open playing field for any such younger players who might actually be available. And we're not in a very good position to submit a winning bid.

Verbeek is a bit of a clown himself. He seems convinced their problem is they aren't feisty enough. He may actually want guy like McCarron or Sisson.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Verbeek is a bit of a clown himself. He seems convinced their problem is they aren't feisty enough. He may actually want guy like McCarron or Sisson.

True, it's worth remembering that there are actually a fair number of NHL GMs out there who aren't any better than ours. I tend not to count on that. But even a blind squirrel gets the occasional nut, so maybe Trotz can do better with what he has than I'm giving him credit for.

 

[AtlantaWhaler]

The roster is kind of in a weird place. I don't see any point in spending assets to try and make the playoffs in the next two seasons BUT if it is for a younger piece that has long term implications for this team then by all means go for it.

End of the day, almost everyone at the top of the lineup is entering the sunset of their careers.

Ror, stamkos, marchy, josi mid 30s
Forsberg, saros, skjei, Bunting, Sissons, saros early 30s

This team is going to have to make a move to get younger. You can't have all the trusted players at the top of the lineup being above 30 and a healthy chunk of them 35. Unfortunately, I think we have managed to kill the perceived trade value of almost every one of those players.

The hope for me is the remaining vets stick around to help a focus on our youth. ROR, Stammer, Marchy, Forsberg, Bunting, and Skjei, and Josi if he keeps playing are fine choices for vet help for the young guys. However, that needs to be the focus set down by Trotz and Bruno. It's a commitment to a rebuild.

When all these guys are playing top 2 lines with 25-30 TOI per game....that's trying to rely on the vets for wins and has gotten us nowhere.

 

[Soundgarden]

It really depends on what established players are available, I'm perfectly fine drafting one of the centers, Fiddler and Ravensberg/another defenseman with our 1sts.

 

[herzausstein]

If Anaheim still wants to trade Zegras, I'd certainly be listening. It's not going to be just for our nearly-worthless late 1sts though. Maybe one gets thrown in. I don't actually even know what we have to offer, frankly. Our main asset with any value is our top #3 OA pick. I don't think any of our other prospects or draft picks or players really move the needle in any such trade?

It depends on how badly the other team wants to get rid of him, of course, but then the problem comes in that there are a TON of teams with Cap space out there, and tons of teams who have better assets to offer. So it's a wide open playing field for any such younger players who might actually be available. And we're not in a very good position to submit a winning bid.

Zegras and his inability to stay healthy bothers me. 81 games over the past two seasons and 43 points. Last year of his contract at 5.75 million and will likely want a raise or a prove it contract leading to UFA. I just don't like that situation but may be a decent gamble

 

[PredsV82]

About 3 more points away from a guaranteed top 5 pick. A loss plus boston getting any points or us getting 2 losses and we are locked into the 3rd worst record this season.

If Trotz goes into next season with Bruno and/or much of this team intact and says he thinks we can win... then he is a liar. Team was crap before marchy and josi injuries and the trades. Bruno may be a good coach (i doubt it) but he isn't the right coach for this old ass team

Edit, nvm, I thought there were 3 lotto picks but there are only 2.

 

[Scoresberg]

Edit, nvm, I thought there were 3 lotto picks but there are only 2.

Only the 1st and 2nd picks of the draft are determined by the lottery so realistically, only two teams could jump ahead of us if we finish 3rd worst.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Zegras and his inability to stay healthy bothers me. 81 games over the past two seasons and 43 points. Last year of his contract at 5.75 million and will likely want a raise or a prove it contract leading to UFA. I just don't like that situation but may be a decent gamble

Zegras would definitely be a weird fit to Trotz's established persona. Zegras is kind of a prima donna/hothead punk kid kind of player. But he also definitely has top-6 skills. To get value out of him, you have to gift-wrap him that top line action, and overlook all of his "antics". I guess if you are trading a big package for him and paying big $$$, you are kind of obligated to do that? But I think it is notable that we were definitely very seriously "in" on a vanilla kind of personality like Cozens, with nary a whisper about Zegras.

So yeah, I don't see it happening. Just... maybe some day folks might consider that a "hothead" is a guy who actually "cares" about how he/his team are performing? It's not the same world as 30 years ago. You can be a dickhead by the standards of yesteryear, and I think a lot of successful people are (unfortunately). It shouldn't be a disqualifier for a dysfunctional NHL team which already sucks, though. Character alone doesn't win Cups. Actual skill at the game might.

 

[Gnashville]

I suspect that the premise, even of say trading our #25 + #30 picks (TB + VGK) for a pick in the #8-12 range to get McQueen probably wouldn't be accepted by any team drafting in that spot anyway, so it's likely a moot point.

He'd have to be really falling on Draft Day, down to #18,19,20 before a team would consider trading down for our 2 1sts? And if he falls that far, it's probably because something not so good was found out in his Combine/medical situation. In which case, I'll take 2 other healthy guys in the same range, thanks.

Ok I agree with this if his medicals are bad and he is in the 20’s then stay away but I was thinking in the 12-15 range with a team like Pittsburgh or Montreal that has multiple picks themselves.

 

[Roman Yoshi]

No thanks on Zegras. There was a time I was onboard with that move. Now I just want to take our time and build through the draft like Ottawa did most recently.

 

[Gnashville]

Only the 1st and 2nd picks of the draft are determined by the lottery so realistically, only two teams could jump ahead of us if we finish 3rd worst.

Pretty much locked into the 3rd spot now which is a guaranteed top 5 pick. Most likely is 4th overall at 39.7%
For those that want to know at 3rd the odds are as follows
1st overall 11.5%
2nd overall 11.2%
3rd overall 7.8%
4th overall 39.7%
5th overall 29.8%
Really crazy the lowest odds are for them to stay at 3rd

 

[BigFatCat999]

Here is the positive if Chicago wins the lottery. They cannot get McKenna in 2026.