What would a Zegras deal look like?

[GASabresIUFAN]

Let’s say for arguments sake that Ana is actually interested in trading their top pick from a couple of years ago after a difficult injury affected season.

Buffalo’s need for a player like Zegras is obvious.  The Sabres need a top 6 forward and need a playmaker of his skill to replace the lost playmaking from trading Mitts.

The biggest hurdle to a deal is Ana is only 1.28 million above the cap floor.  Moving Zegras (and I assume his full salary of $5.75 million) without taking a contract or two back, would put Ana about $4.5 million under the cap.  Ana is also a surprisingly old team.  They have 5 forwards 30+, their top goalie is 31 and their top 3 D are also 32+.

The Sabres also have 13 forwards under contract once Krebs is signed.  

If Ana trades Zegras, they are going to want at least one or two roster players, preferably someone who can become part of their core.  My guess is Benson is at the top of their list.  I also think they are going to want 4 pieces in total.   If we use the Eichel deal as a reference, the Sabres gave up Eichel and a 2023 3rd for Tuch (a good, but injured vet with term), Krebs (a young highly touted near ready prospect), a 2022 1st and a 2023 2nd.

Honestly, I’m having a problem making the pieces work.  Greenway is likely to be one of pieces heading the other way.  Krebs? Rosen? Kulich? Our first in 2025?  

Thoughts?

[PerreaultForever]

I just don't want that guy. I can't stand him. 

If the Sabres send Benson away in a trade for Zegras I might just start actually hating this team. 

Fie upon you for introducing these summer thoughts into my head. 

[Dr. Who]

10 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

I just don't want that guy. I can't stand him. 

If the Sabres send Benson away in a trade for Zegras I might just start actually hating this team. 

Fie upon you for introducing these summer thoughts into my head. 

If Benson is part of the equation, it's a non-starter.

[thewookie1]

Zegras really doesn't interest me since he strikes me as a "nice to win" versus "hates to lose" kind of guy.

 

However my max offer would akin to

Greenway, Krebs, a Top 5 protected 2025 1st and a prospect

 

If they want Benson, Quinn, or Peterka they can kick rocks.

[inkman]

6 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Let’s say for arguments sake that Ana is actually interested in trading their top pick from a couple of years ago after a difficult injury affected season.

Buffalo’s need for a player like Zegras is obvious.  The Sabres need a top 6 forward and need a playmaker of his skill to replace the lost playmaking from trading Mitts.

The biggest hurdle to a deal is Ana is only 1.28 million above the cap floor.  Moving Zegras (and I assume his full salary of $5.75 million) without taking a contract or two back, would put Ana about $4.5 million under the cap.  Ana is also a surprisingly old team.  They have 5 forwards 30+, their top goalie is 31 and their top 3 D are also 32+.

The Sabres also have 13 forwards under contract once Krebs is signed.  

If Ana trades Zegras, they are going to want at least one or two roster players, preferably someone who can become part of their core.  My guess is Benson is at the top of their list.  I also think they are going to want 4 pieces in total.   If we use the Eichel deal as a reference, the Sabres gave up Eichel and a 2023 3rd for Tuch (a good, but injured vet with term), Krebs (a young highly touted near ready prospect), a 2022 1st and a 2023 2nd.

Honestly, I’m having a problem making the pieces work.  Greenway is likely to be one of pieces heading the other way.  Krebs? Rosen? Kulich? Our first in 2025?  

Thoughts?

Byram, Kulich & a couple picks.  

[JohnC]

6 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Let’s say for arguments sake that Ana is actually interested in trading their top pick from a couple of years ago after a difficult injury affected season.

Buffalo’s need for a player like Zegras is obvious.  The Sabres need a top 6 forward and need a playmaker of his skill to replace the lost playmaking from trading Mitts.

The biggest hurdle to a deal is Ana is only 1.28 million above the cap floor.  Moving Zegras (and I assume his full salary of $5.75 million) without taking a contract or two back, would put Ana about $4.5 million under the cap.  Ana is also a surprisingly old team.  They have 5 forwards 30+, their top goalie is 31 and their top 3 D are also 32+.

The Sabres also have 13 forwards under contract once Krebs is signed.  

If Ana trades Zegras, they are going to want at least one or two roster players, preferably someone who can become part of their core.  My guess is Benson is at the top of their list.  I also think they are going to want 4 pieces in total.   If we use the Eichel deal as a reference, the Sabres gave up Eichel and a 2023 3rd for Tuch (a good, but injured vet with term), Krebs (a young highly touted near ready prospect), a 2022 1st and a 2023 2nd.

Honestly, I’m having a problem making the pieces work.  Greenway is likely to be one of pieces heading the other way.  Krebs? Rosen? Kulich? Our first in 2025?  

Thoughts?

If they insist on Benson I emphatically say no. End of conversation. 

I would be willing to give them Krebs, a high-end prospect or two (Kulich, Johnson, Rosen) and Joki. I would not give up next year's first round pick, a second would be okay. 

My sense is that KA is more inclined to not make a deal for a second line forward but instead stick with his plan of building from within. 

[Archie Lee]

There are top 6 wingers who I would trade Benson for. Zegras has too many question marks for me. I wouldn’t trade Benson for Zegras. That said, if players like Benson and Quinn are on the verge of greatness or near greatness, and are therefore untouchable in trade, then we really don’t need a top 6 addition. We just need patience.  

[GASabresIUFAN]

16 minutes ago, Archie Lee said:

We just need patience.  

The time for patience has passed.

I do agree that odds are KA isn't trading Benson for any reason, especially not just 2 years of Zegras.  

57 minutes ago, inkman said:

Byram, Kulich & a couple picks.  

I also don't think he'd move Byram, the asset he got for Mitts, plus other assets to acquire a Mitts replacement.  

To make the money work, I think the deal starts with Greenway (or Jokiharju), plus Rosen and a 1st (or Kulich and a 2nd).   Would Krebs be another piece?  Kulich or Rosen probably make the Ducks out  of camp giving them two roster players from the deal. 

 

[mjd1001]

3 hours ago, thewookie1 said:

Zegras really doesn't interest me since he strikes me as a "nice to win" versus "hates to lose" kind of guy.

 

However my max offer would akin to

Greenway, Krebs, a Top 5 protected 2025 1st and a prospect

 

If they want Benson, Quinn, or Peterka they can kick rocks.

Lindy won't want him. Hes slow and plays slow.

 

 

[mjd1001]

As per my above post, his nhl edge 'metrics' show him as a very slow top speed skater, with average to below average speed burts.

When I looked at his scouting reports from some sites (before he was drafted) one said his skating was a weakness, another said skating speed was a strength...go figure.

 

[North Buffalo]

3 hours ago, thewookie1 said:

Zegras really doesn't interest me since he strikes me as a "nice to win" versus "hates to lose" kind of guy.

 

However my max offer would akin to

Greenway, Krebs, a Top 5 protected 2025 1st and a prospect

 

If they want Benson, Quinn, or Peterka they can kick rocks.

I get the trepidation and dont want to lose Benson, Quinn or Peterka but despite his on ice appearance at times... kid is dog... I know his Dad who played D1 hockey for UNH, tough hockey player and coached Zegras until Prep school... his younger brother is a D1 wrestler.  All reports from my son's friends who went to school with him til going to prep school is he is a great guy, tenacious.. amazing skill and good teammate...

[Weave]

We all want to move our spare pcs, but if they don’t fit ANA organizational needs the conversation stops.

The only way to answer the OPs question is to first ask, what does ANA need? And how does that fit with our depth?

[mjd1001]

50 minutes ago, Archie Lee said:

There are top 6 wingers who I would trade Benson for. Zegras has too many question marks for me. I wouldn’t trade Benson for Zegras. That said, if players like Benson and Quinn are on the verge of greatness or near greatness, and are therefore untouchable in trade, then we really don’t need a top 6 addition. We just need patience.  

I like the logic.

We want  Zegras because he should be a top 6 guy.  We don't want to trade Quinn or Benson because they should be top 6 guys and a lot would rather have EITHER of them than Zegras.  So, Quinn and Benson have NOT been top 6 guys for this team yet...if they ARE going to be as good as many think (not wanting to give them up for Zegras), and you have Tuch and Peterka on the wings already, well, then you don't need Zegras for the top 6.

[GASabresIUFAN]

14 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

Lindy won't want him. Hes slow and plays slow.

 

 

Looks to me that his "speed" dip is a reflection of his broken ankle from last year.  Those numbers look very similar to one Zack Benson. Who according to the chart posted in the speed thread had a max speed of 21.47 and only 22 bursts of 20+.  Is Lindy going to toss him to the curb?  Quinn is only 21.86 with 29 20+.  

Zegras is a high IQ player that feeds his linemates.  Isn't that what we need?  Lindy has had success with similar players.  Hischier comes to mind.

[LGR4GM]

2025 top 10 protected 1st, Wahlberg, Greenway, Krebs for Zegras and a 3rd. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

3 minutes ago, Weave said:

We all want to move our spare pcs, but if they don’t fit ANA organizational needs the conversation stops.

The only way to answer the OPs question is to first ask, what does ANA need? And how does that fit with our depth?

Agreed.  As I pointed out in the OP, Ana needs ready young vets across their lineup, especially on defense.  Their cornerstone young players are McTavish and Carlsson up front and Mintyukov on defense with F Gauthier coming soon and D Owen Zellweger securing a full time NHL gig this fall.

Troy Terry is their good youngish vet F at 25.  I think they need to fill in between the 9 30+ players and the young kids with more guys in the 23 to 27 range.  

[Archie Lee]

44 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

The time for patience has passed.

 

 

I agree. But, I wasn’t meaning we need to be patient for another 2-3 years. If Benson and Quinn are as deserving of the “near-to-untouchable” label that they have been given, then we should just need to be patient until October. 

[Mr. Allen]

7 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

I just don't want that guy. I can't stand him. 

If the Sabres send Benson away in a trade for Zegras I might just start actually hating this team.  

Same.  Can’t stand that kid.  He’s the type of hockey player I hope we stay away from. 

[triumph_communes]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

2025 top 10 protected 1st, Wahlberg, Greenway, Krebs for Zegras and a 3rd. 

This would hurt. May be close. More I read on Wahlberg the less I’d want to lose him

 

Adams won’t get pick protection 

[LGR4GM]

Just now, triumph_communes said:

This would hurt. May be close. More I read on Wahlberg the less I’d want to lose him

 

Adams won’t get pick protection 

Yes he will. It's standard across the league. 

You could switch out Krebs for Jokiharju I suppose. 

Edited July 24 by LGR4GM

[Flashsabre]

Verbeek loves size and snarl. Wahlberg will have to be included.And he is probably the prospect the Sabres shouldn’t move as he provides what they don’t have.

[JohnC]

3 hours ago, North Buffalo said:

I get the trepidation and dont want to lose Benson, Quinn or Peterka but despite his on ice appearance at times... kid is dog... I know his Dad who played D1 hockey for UNH, tough hockey player and coached Zegras until Prep school... his younger brother is a D1 wrestler.  All reports from my son's friends who went to school with him til going to prep school is he is a great guy, tenacious.. amazing skill and good teammate...

If Benson is in a proposed deal: Absolutely not. 

If Quinn is in a proposed deal: Absolute not. 

If JJP is in a proposed deal: Absolutely not. 

There can be a reasonable trade to work out for a Zegress trade. None of them should include the three players you mentioned. 

[Weave]

16 minutes ago, Flashsabre said:

Verbeek loves size and snarl. Wahlberg will have to be included.And he is probably the prospect the Sabres shouldn’t move as he provides what they don’t have.

I would not like losing Wahlberg…… let me rephrase, I would not like to lose the unblemished, no warts promise of Wahlberg, but lets be real here, he’s bottom 6 ceiling.  I’m moving him for an established top 6 player every time.

[mjd1001]

3 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Looks to me that his "speed" dip is a reflection of his broken ankle from last year.  Those numbers look very similar to one Zack Benson. Who according to the chart posted in the speed thread had a max speed of 21.47 and only 22 bursts of 20+.  Is Lindy going to toss him to the curb?  Quinn is only 21.86 with 29 20+.  

Zegras is a high IQ player that feeds his linemates.  Isn't that what we need?  Lindy has had success with similar players.  Hischier comes to mind.

I posted that but yeah, a lot of it was probably due to the injury...but the year before his numbers were pretty low also.

Hischier is a different level player.  Zegras has  a lot of Talent, but Hischier already is one of the best 2-way players in the league and he is getting better.  As long as they don't get injuries, I think the Devils are back to one of the top teams in the league this coming season, and Hischier should be getting accolades as a top 10 player in the league very soon. When he is healthy, the guy is awesome, because he is so talented and plays both sides of the ice so well.

[GASabresIUFAN]

22 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

I posted that but yeah, a lot of it was probably due to the injury...but the year before his numbers were pretty low also.

Hischier is a different level player.  Zegras has  a lot of Talent, but Hischier already is one of the best 2-way players in the league and he is getting better.  As long as they don't get injuries, I think the Devils are back to one of the top teams in the league this coming season, and Hischier should be getting accolades as a top 10 player in the league very soon. When he is healthy, the guy is awesome, because he is so talented and plays both sides of the ice so well.

The Hischier, 25, of today is not the Hischier of age 21. 

Zegras had two 60+ seasons under his belt by 21.  Hischier didn’t hit 60 pts until 22.  

Getting Zegras now, you may be getting a player about to make the next jump in level of production.