Player Discussion Trevor Zegras (Part II)

[JonathnTaylorTavares]

It was just getting good.... Zegras texted Tortorella at 2am?

 

[Leonardo87]

It was just getting good.... Zegras texted Tortorella at 2am?

LOL. Yeah I listened to the entire episode. He said don’t text me at 2am which is 11pm CA time, was pretty funny. I’d recommend listening to the entire episode, There is also an interview with Getz as well later in it.

 

[JonathnTaylorTavares]

LOL. Yeah I listened to the entire episode. He said don’t text me at 2am which is 11pm CA time, was pretty funny. I’d recommend listening to the entire episode, There is also an interview with Getz as well later in it.

That was a nice genuine and thoughtful answer by Tortz. Stupid media

 

[la patineuse]

That was a nice genuine and thoughtful answer by Tortz. Stupid media

Even in the initial discussion, Torts wasn't like the old man yelling at the kids to get off his lawn type of thing. He was pretty even keel although it wasn't his idea of what a hockey play is.

 

[Boo Boo]

Nah I’m the complete opposite. Tortorella literally is the media who blew this out of proportion to begin with. He made the dumb comment and he continues to make this whole thing about him and his reaction to a goal which most have moved on from and is pretty much already in the past lol.

Good to see him stand up for zegras though. Even though he took pretty much zero responsibility for starting this whole thing.

 

[2faded]

No. That wasn’t my point. My point was that Ducks fans saying Sabres fans are delusional asking for that back when it started has shown that we weren’t delusional because the Sabres said that was what they wanted from Anaheim. Of course I take anything Friedman says with a grain of salt that’s the size of a salt lick, but you have to admit that we weren’t a batshit bunch of posters overvaluing someone. That’s all.

This isn’t really an either/or type situation. And as I said, the Ducks rightfully refused. So would I if I were a GM

That doesn't make the Sabres fans not delusional. It just makes them as delusional as their incompetent management.

 

[405Entrance]

I care. Just because you only stick to HFDucks doesn’t mean shit. I know team boards are a circle jerk of that specific team, but one should at least be able to discuss possibilities of trades outside of what gets proposed on that teams board.

If you can’t entertain the thought in your head if Zegras and/or Drysdale being on a team other than the Ducks, just move on. There’s not really a reason to act like the other person is an idiot

Go read some of the posts here. Some of us are branded as extremists because we “hate on the team” I’d argue most of us are really neutral and don’t jerk the team off like you claim we do. It’s really funny how you try to deflect on us. No one with a functioning brain would’ve done that traded. It sucks to swallow (no pun intended) but your GM and FO are a Bunch of dummies. They could’ve gotten a lottery pick and a good prospect instead they chose a 2c, tuch and some throw ins

 

[bsu]

I hate everything.

 

[Cold Coffee]

Duuuuude

 

[Kalv]

I still don't understand the Torts comments. Even if taken out of context, he literally said he was not sure the goal was good for the game.

I do respect Torts tho, he's an honest guy but I think he dropped the ball more than he didn't but whatever, a healthy debate is good for the game lol.

But that panel looks like an old boys club. One complaining about media (which he is technically himself), Melrose just zoned out, looks like he thinks he should buy a boat or something
Bring some energy in ffs. NBA does it well with Stephen A Smith, Shaq, Barkley, etc. Lot of their takes are ridiculous bit it's entertaining and they are fun and energetic about it.

 

[Ducks in a row]

Zegras 2 point game today so he is now halfway to 50 points in 30 games

 

[Sean Garrity]

I still don't understand the Torts comments. Even if taken out of context, he literally said he was not sure the goal was good for the game.

I do respect Torts tho, he's an honest guy but I think he dropped the ball more than he didn't but whatever, a healthy debate is good for the game lol.

But that panel looks like an old boys club. One complaining about media (which he is technically himself), Melrose just zoned out, looks like he thinks he should buy a boat or something
Bring some energy in ffs. NBA does it well with Stephen A Smith, Shaq, Barkley, etc. Lot of their takes are ridiculous bit it's entertaining and they are fun and energetic about it.

I mentioned in the GDT, but I really liked the TNT broadcast (I really enjoy their NBA crew even though I'm not a huge NBA fan) and analyst crew that did our game against the Kraken. They seem to get it in terms of entertainment.

 

[caliamad]

Manson wasn’t good, got caught way too many times.

Bad defense by zegras on or goal, screened goalie.

Gibson was human, a lot of bad rebounds.

we still got 5 goals and our pp is so lethal. Just got to clean it up a little on defense.

sometimes getting a bucket of cold water dumped on you makes you do a reality check. Good time to do a thorough video session and remind guys the importance of backchecking hard and keeping your shifts reasonable.

 

[WhatTheDuck]

Zegras inspired

 

[Hockey Duckie]

5 years. But I get your point. He was a good GM. He’s lost it in the past couple of years. I’m actually surprised the last few drafts he’s mostly deferred to the scouting staff (to an outsider). The choices seemed more anti-BM than pro-BM

The drafting is usually done by committee with Murray at the helm. Murray's also given lots of credit to his scouts for pushing for specific players. For example, back in the 2011 draft, the Ducks did not own a sixth round pick, but they traded for one because one of their scouts was adamant on one defenseman. That defenseman turned out to be Josh Manson.

While the general thoughts of Murray losing it the past couple of years gets bandied about, he was actually pushing the youth movement for the past two seasons and citing this year was an official rebuild year. I think he said that official part as the reason why he didn't try to acquire a couple of top-6 forwards b/c he had a plethora of young forwards that needed a pathway to the NHL. Terry could have been relegated to the third line and Milano probably would have been stuck in the AHL. Yet, the Ducks are atop the Pacific division with the personnel construct of former GM Murray. Murray also fixed/upgraded the special teams coaching unit.

The transition from the Twins (Getz and Perry) was always going to be a difficult one b/c replacing superstars like that is quite a daunting thing to do or even get halfway to that point. Everything got exacerbated in 2017-18.

Contract Lengths

Original Contract lengths
Player	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	2020-21	2021-22
Getzlaf	x	x	x	x	x
Perry	x	x	x	x	x
Kesler	x (extension started)	x	x	x	x	x
Eaves	x (TDL)	x (extension)	x	x
Playoffs	WCF	1st rd	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Kesler signed a six-year extension in 2015 off-season, with a year left on his previous contract. Patrick Eaves signed an extension in the 2017 off-season after gelling with the Twins for 14 points (11g, 3a) in only 20 regular season games and 4 points (2g, 2a) in seven playoff games.
​

Injuries abound

Original Contract lengths
Player	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	2020-21	2021-22
Getzlaf	x	x	x	x	x
Perry	x	x	Injured	bought out	bought out
Kesler	x	Injured	Injured	DNP	DNP	DNP
Eaves	x (TDL)	Injured	Injured	DNP

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

It kinda sucks hard when two of your top-4 forwards are injured after a WCF run. Eaves had a medical condition that ended his career as he played two games in 2017-18 and seven games in 2018-19. Kesler was half the player, playing on a broken hip for two seasons until he reached the 1,000 NHL games played mark and hung up the skates afterwards during the 2018-19 season. Perry was injured in 2018-19, but he effort to get back into playing shape bothered former GM Murray as it set a bad tone for the youths. Perry's contract was bought out after the 2018-19 season. Although Getz wasn't injured physically, his game was dwindling down until this season.​

Murray was trying his best to prepare for the eventual transition from the Twins. He had two first round picks in 2016 with LW Jones and C Steel. He stopped drafting defenseman high and multiple in one draft for three draft seasons, 2016-2018. No defenseman was drafted in 2017. There was no 2017 first rounder b/c the Ducks went to the WCF and the conditional second rounder for Eaves upgraded to a first round pick. The bottom finally fell out during the 2018-19 season when Murray stepped in as interim coach over halfway through the season. Anaheim was missing a lot of centers to start the season that it started Steel (20 yrs old) and Lundestrom (18 yrs old) due to injuries down the middle. The PP and PK units improved and the team has a small outside chance at a playoff spot. By missing the playoffs, the Ducks drafted 9th overall and snatched up Zegras. Yet, Murray also doubled up on first rounders in the 2019 draft. Murray almost grabbed another center in Peyton Krebs as he had a deal in place if he fell to 18th overall. It didn't happen, but used those picks on LW Tracey with the late first round pick and LHD LaCombe in the second round. LaCombe became the first defenseman drafted in the 2nd round or higher after three draft seasons. Later in that draft, LHD Thrun was drafted in the fourth round, which made the 2019 draft the first time the Ducks drafted more than one defenseman in the same draft after three draft seasons.

Eakins was signed in the summer of 2019. He was the choice because of his familiarity of the youth in the system who are coming to the NHL b/c Eakins had been the Ducks' AHL coach for four seasons. Signing Eakins was a harbinger of a rebuild as the youth movement was pushed in 2019-20 season to today. The problem for the past two seasons has been a blue line marred with injuries especially to the Ducks top two defenders in Lindholm and Manson. Because of said injuries, the Ducks were rewarded with RHD Drysdale with the 6th overall in 2020 draft and C McTavish with the 3rd overall in the 2021 draft. Murray again acquired another late first round pick in the 2020 draft and selected RW Perreault. With a healthy Lindholm and Manson (knock on wood) this season along with a mass of injuries hitting the forward corps, we now see the importance of having a healthy defense.

Murray has tried to acquire top talents, but it just didn't work out. Anaheim almost had RHD Justin Faulk in 2019, but found out we were used to drive up the price and stay back east. Anaheim tried to trade for C Pierre-Luc Dubois with futures excluding Zegras and Drysdale. Columbus wanted present players than futures. And then there's Eichel.



Apparently, the seeds were already sowed in that Zegras and Drysdale were untouchable in the trade for a healthy PLD. Why would both prospects be included with a broken Eichel? They weren't.

There's a lot of hate on on Murray b/c Murray never stated the Ducks were in an official rebuild when Eakins was made the head coach in 2019 despite all the youth movement being pushed since 2019. Today, the Ducks sit atop the Pacific division, older youth group has stepped up in RW Terry and LW Milano, the younger youth group are making an impact in C Zegras and RHD Drysdale, the Gulls (AHL team) are being lead in scoring by two youngsters in RW Perreault and LW Tracey, there are LHD's in LaCombe and Thrun finishing their junior years in the NCAA, and then there's the 2021 draft class with C McTavish, LHD Zellweger, along with RW Pastujov. I forgot to mention the Ducks goalie situation! Anaheim has a find in Stolarz, who was signed as a FA. Then there's potential phenom in the making in G Dostal, a 2018 third rounder.

To say Murray was bad the last couple of seasons is a bad take. He had a long term plan that included pushing a rebuild starting in 2019 on purpose. Now, the Ducks present and future looks golden with cap space.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

I still don't understand the Torts comments. Even if taken out of context, he literally said he was not sure the goal was good for the game.

I do respect Torts tho, he's an honest guy but I think he dropped the ball more than he didn't but whatever, a healthy debate is good for the game lol.

But that panel looks like an old boys club. One complaining about media (which he is technically himself), Melrose just zoned out, looks like he thinks he should buy a boat or something
Bring some energy in ffs. NBA does it well with Stephen A Smith, Shaq, Barkley, etc. Lot of their takes are ridiculous bit it's entertaining and they are fun and energetic about it.

After that play by Zegras-Milano, the next three games were meh. I think I'm beginning to see Torts' view that hockey is a hard game to play b/c we want to see consistency out of the MZR line, but we just get flashes in spurts. Still, Torts was wrong about the play as that creativity is what keeps hockey alive. And yet, forgetting to play hard each shift matters significantly on the ice too.

Anyhow, bad press is still good press. Torts did his job as an analyst/commentator as he's drummed up controversy and views. From ESPN's media perspective, Torts did an amazing job with disagreeing with the play. Torts really did hype up both Zegras and Milano about the play, which I forgot happened as we just focus on Torts saying "is it good for hockey" and attributing it to Zegras than the event itself.

 

[Trojans86]

That was a nice genuine and thoughtful answer by Tortz. Stupid media

Seriously. I dont listen to torts too much so assumed the worst but appreciated his response there.

 

[bsu]

 

[AngelDuck]

The Zegras and Terry highlight reels are just absurd. So much skill

 

[FiveHoleTickler]

I could watch that shit all day.

 

[dracom]

well thanks now i'm sad we dont get to watch him do anything new for awhile

 

[DarthYenik]

 

[bsu]

 

[bsu]

Definitely average puck skills.

 

[Kalv]

Definitely average puck skills.

At God-like level he really is average tho