[Speculation] Ducks Remain Far Apart In Negotiations With Trevor Zegras, Jamie Drysdale

[RWJC]

Ducks Remain Far Apart In Negotiations With Trevor Zegras, Jamie Drysdale

September 19th, 2023 at 6:48pm CST • By Josh Erickson

The hopes of eleventh-hour deals to get a couple of Anaheim Ducks’ future mainstays on the ice for training camp Thursday are quickly dwindling. They are not close to new deals for either franchise center Trevor Zegras or young defender Jamie Drysdale, despite camp opening in less than 48 hours, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun said Tuesday night on Insider Trading.

As echoed by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman tonight, this is quite a puzzling saga that few expected when the summer began. The Ducks have the most projected cap space of anyone in the league by a significant margin, per CapFriendly. Their $16.64MM in flexibility is nearly $4MM more than the Chicago Blackhawks, who have the second-most with $12.86MM. To put that into context – 24 of the NHL’s 32 teams have less cap space than the gap between Anaheim and Chicago.
 

Ducks assistant general manager Jeff Solomon is known in NHL circles as one of the tougher negotiators in the league, and it could be that Drysdale and Zegras’s camps are truly asking for more than the Ducks feel they’re worth. With short-term deals likely for both in a window where the team won’t be fully exiting their rebuild, however, the team arguably has more to lose by creating off-ice animosity than opting for a perceived overpay on the two contracts.

LeBrun adds that, in a small glimmer of hope, the Ducks and Zegras have both settled on a three-year term. He did say, however, that a “tangible gap” remains between the two sides’ wants on an average annual value. No such specifics were given for Drysdale’s negotiations aside from a deal not being close to fruition, although his agent, David Gagner, is in Anaheim for talks, reports The Sporting Tribune’s Derek Lee.

Neither Drysdale nor Zegras were eligible for arbitration, giving the Ducks most of the leverage in negotiations. That’s especially the case with Drysdale, who was additionally ineligible to sign an offer sheet. It’s fair to wonder if Anaheim is overplaying their hand by letting things drag out this long, though.
 

While Zegras is already a household name across the league thanks to his incredible puck skills and flashy dekes, the Ducks need him to take a step forward defensively in order to maintain his status as a true number-one center on a championship-caliber team. That’s something they’re hoping to achieve by bringing in first-year NHL head coach Greg Cronin, who Zegras said he had a positive meeting with earlier this summer and shares in Cronin’s philosophy of improving his all-around game. They’re now extremely close to losing valuable time together during camp and getting a pivotal development season for Zegras off to a rocky start. The 22-year-old center has rattled off at least 20 goals and 60 points in his first two full NHL seasons.

Drysdale’s negotiations were always going to be a complex prediction. While an incredibly high-ceiling defender, he registered no points in the first eight games of last season before a torn labrum sidelined him for the remainder of the campaign. The sixth overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, Drysdale notched 32 points in 81 games in his only full NHL season to date in 2021-22 while averaging nearly 20 minutes per game. When he does get a deal done, he’s projected to assume a top-pairing role to the right of Cam Fowler.

It’s worth noting that if Zegras’ absence stretches into the regular season, Anaheim will be down two of its usual four centers. Developing shutdown man Isac Lundeström is sidelined through January after injuring his Achilles tendon during offseason training.
 

https://www.prohockeyrumors.com/2023/09/ducks-remain-far-apart-in-negotiations-with-trevor-zegras-jamie-drysdale.html#ref=home

[Don Brodka Jr]

Typical Ducks! 
Named after a god damn Movie Franchise! Yet people make fun of The Arizona Coyotes!

[Coconuts]

Zegras to the Canucks for Boeser, Podz and a 1st, Alf goes on a three day bender e5

Edited September 20, 2023 by Coconuts

[Snoop Hogg]

3 minutes ago, Coconuts said:

Zegras to the Canucks for Boeser, Podz and a 1st, Alf goes on a three day bender e5

You kidding? Tocchet would cause him to curl into the fetal position on the ice. 

[Coconuts]

11 minutes ago, Snoop Hogg said:

You kidding? Tocchet would cause him to curl into the fetal position on the ice. 

e6

[wai_lai416]

zegras i can see drag into the regular season.. he probably wants a max term/salary contract or a max salary that takes him to ufa ducks are like nope 3 year bridge to prove u can play defence

[Odjickwillkillyou]

Th almost blind child in me saw this headline and thought it said "Ducks remain fart in negotiations" which also made me 

[cripplereh]

Would be nice to snag one before season starts but I doubt that will happen.

[IBatch]

On 9/19/2023 at 9:14 PM, Don Brodka Jr said:

Typical Ducks! 
Named after a god damn Movie Franchise! Yet people make fun of The Arizona Coyotes!

Those early days were a joke.  But they weren't a joke for long.   Kariya and Selanne legitimized them, and the Burke team was the last throwback to win a cup.   Boston would have been limping by game two (ANA was way tougher).    Game four lost some regulars.   Game six likely wouldn't make it that far.  

 

Bieksa recently told the truth.   Everyone is now getting paid based on potential.   They no longer have to wait for their 3-4th deals, just get paid right out of the gate.   Look at OTT.   Seems to be working for them though, but will say, i'm looking forward to the day, long term second RFA deals get bought out.    It's coming.   Can't blame ANA for fighting that tide, and hope they don't relent.    It's absolutely goofy that RFA's now get paid like free agents.    People think QHs and EP are on discount deals.   Nothing is further from the truth.   Go looks at what Tavares was getting.    At least guys like him, and JT Miller earned their legacy deals.   Aside from superstars like Crosby, Ovi and McDavid,  and maybe the odd franchise player - none of them have earned it.   

 

It's going to create another lockout.   The league will be forced to limit RFA deals - and rightly so. 

Edited September 21, 2023 by IBatch

[IBatch]

On 9/20/2023 at 4:44 AM, wai_lai416 said:

zegras i can see drag into the regular season.. he probably wants a max term/salary contract or a max salary that takes him to ufa ducks are like nope 3 year bridge to prove u can play defence

As they should.  And Zegras probably wants 8-9 million.    When really he should be getting 5-6.  On a bridge deal. 

Edited September 21, 2023 by IBatch

[IBatch]

On 9/19/2023 at 9:55 PM, Coconuts said:

Zegras to the Canucks for Boeser, Podz and a 1st, Alf goes on a three day bender e5

Alf's on a bender must be something.   Pretty sure he's Irish.   Sure drinks like one. 

[wai_lai416]

2 hours ago, IBatch said:

As they should.  And Zegras probably wants 8-9 million.    When really he should be getting 5-6.  On a bridge deal. 

but given how a lot of GM are giving max deals terms/money to rookies nowadays with 0 track records and all just based on potentials ie jack hughes jake sanderson etc etc when they signed their contract.. you can see why zegras want that. he's probably done more than hughes and sanderson at this point then when they did at the time signing the contract.

[IBatch]

1 hour ago, wai_lai416 said:

but given how a lot of GM are giving max deals terms/money to rookies nowadays with 0 track records and all just based on potentials ie jack hughes jake sanderson etc etc when they signed their contract.. you can see why zegras want that. he's probably done more than hughes and sanderson at this point then when they did at the time signing the contract.

Yep.    Hasn't done enough to earn 10% of the cap ...  Didn't EP do as much or more?  Yet he's going to want 8-9 on a 3 year bridge.  

Edited September 21, 2023 by IBatch

[wai_lai416]

40 minutes ago, IBatch said:

Yep.    Hasn't done enough to earn 10% of the cap ...  Didn't EP do as much or more?  Yet he's going to want 8-9 on a 3 year bridge.  

EP definitely done more but i don't think the canucks are anywhere as bad as the ducks were. honestly i think 8x8 gets it done but i don't think anaheim is sold on him to commit that long. too much ego not enough of a team player and doesn't play defence.. his offence isn't good enough to justify him playing no defence

[Miss Korea]

2 hours ago, wai_lai416 said:

but given how a lot of GM are giving max deals terms/money to rookies nowadays with 0 track records and all just based on potentials ie jack hughes jake sanderson etc etc when they signed their contract.. you can see why zegras want that. he's probably done more than hughes and sanderson at this point then when they did at the time signing the contract.

 

41 minutes ago, IBatch said:

Yep.    Hasn't done enough to earn 10% of the cap ...  Didn't EP do as much or more?  Yet he's going to want 8-9 on a 3 year bridge.  

 

Verbeek seems like a complete dumbass - some Yzerman protégé he turned out to be.

 

Pat: "Hey Trevor we have cap space but we need to save money"

Trev: "You just paid big bucks to Alex Killorn wtf"

Pat: "How does 3M sound"

Trev: "WTF YOU PAID RYAN STROME AND FRANK VATRANO MORE THAN THAT"

[BlockerHigh]

Renaud Lavoie reporting Ducks offering Zegras a bridge in the $3-4 mil range. Pretty insulting, I wonder if they want him to ask for a trade? He's not been good defensively -21 and -24 last 2 seasons, with 61 and 65 pts respectively.

 

It seems Verbeek is saying you're playing for points and if you play Defense you're not a 60 pt player....interesting times.

[Outsiders]

Zegras next to Petey would be nasty

[Snoop Hogg]

58 minutes ago, BlockerHigh said:

Renaud Lavoie reporting Ducks offering Zegras a bridge in the $3-4 mil range. Pretty insulting, I wonder if they want him to ask for a trade? He's not been good defensively -21 and -24 last 2 seasons, with 61 and 65 pts respectively.

 

It seems Verbeek is saying you're playing for points and if you play Defense you're not a 60 pt player....interesting times.

He’s a gutless puke, but a more valuable gutless puke than that. 

[IBatch]

1 hour ago, BlockerHigh said:

Renaud Lavoie reporting Ducks offering Zegras a bridge in the $3-4 mil range. Pretty insulting, I wonder if they want him to ask for a trade? He's not been good defensively -21 and -24 last 2 seasons, with 61 and 65 pts respectively.

 

It seems Verbeek is saying you're playing for points and if you play Defense you're not a 60 pt player....interesting times.

The minus is somewhat understandable given they are rebuilding.   We all feel Edler was a legit top four D in this league, but led the entire league in plus minus one year (-35 I think) during our rebuild ..  The interesting thing, is like Lou with Dobson, he's not willing to bite on the new demands by players these days.   It's too late to go back, but they want their money now right out of ELC's and also feel like they've earned that.   4 on a one year deal is fair, 5-6 on a 3 year bridge and he's probably asking 8-9, or close to or over 10% of the cap like so many guys these days.    Gone are the second deal, followed by another one and then the legacy deal.   Seems like they want to skip a couple steps right into legacy.   

 

Makes some sense other than there is no more carrot.   Not sure how they factored that math into it.   For sure we all know a star NHL players best years are 24-33 or thereabouts.   So locking them until they are 30 makes sense in some respect.    Not sure where the league will find the money when they turn 30 to pay them again though...because you can bet they won't take a percentage pay cut them either.   I'm expecting some will end up getting bought out.   Totally with Burke, guys shouldn't be getting 3rd contract money on second deals.    It started with Penner - didn't stick, slowly came back and then Dubas pretty much ruined any chance of it rolling back.  

 

 

Edited September 21, 2023 by IBatch

[BlockerHigh]

6 hours ago, IBatch said:

The minus is somewhat understandable given they are rebuilding.   We all feel Edler was a legit top four D in this league, but led the entire league in plus minus one year (-35 I think) during our rebuild ..  The interesting thing, is like Lou with Dobson, he's not willing to bite on the new demands by players these days.   It's too late to go back, but they want their money now right out of ELC's and also feel like they've earned that.   4 on a one year deal is fair, 5-6 on a 3 year bridge and he's probably asking 8-9, or close to or over 10% of the cap like so many guys these days.    Gone are the second deal, followed by another one and then the legacy deal.   Seems like they want to skip a couple steps right into legacy.   

 

Makes some sense other than there is no more carrot.   Not sure how they factored that math into it.   For sure we all know a star NHL players best years are 24-33 or thereabouts.   So locking them until they are 30 makes sense in some respect.    Not sure where the league will find the money when they turn 30 to pay them again though...because you can bet they won't take a percentage pay cut them either.   I'm expecting some will end up getting bought out.   Totally with Burke, guys shouldn't be getting 3rd contract money on second deals.    It started with Penner - didn't stick, slowly came back and then Dubas pretty much ruined any chance of it rolling back.  

 

 

His defensive play is awful. Yes plus minus isn’t the be all and end all but Troy Terry was only -8. zegras is a Center and has pretty important defensive responsibilities and definitely cheats the game for points .

 

It will be interesting to see what happens here. It may be they will move him to the wing, with Mctavish and Carlsson now, and don’t want to pay him center money. But getting 60 pts 2 years in a row but also -20 or worse doesn’t put you in a good bargaining position 

 

if he’s a 65 pt player with that negative of a plus minus, he’s also clearly getting most of his points on the pp Vs 5 on 5. Again suggesting poor defensively and not a true “65 pt player”.

 

65 pts minus your -25 to be even would be a 40 pt guy who’s given a lot of PP time. This is what Verbeek is probably seeing. 

Edited September 22, 2023 by BlockerHigh

[Alflives]

2 minutes ago, BlockerHigh said:

His defensive play is awful. Yes plus minus isn’t the be all and end all but Troy Terry was only -8. zegras is a Center and has pretty important defensive responsibilities and definitely cheats the game for points .

 

It will be interesting to see what happens here. It may be they will move him to the wing, with Mctavish and Carlsson now, and don’t want to pay him center money. But getting 60 pts 2 years in a row but also -20 or worse doesn’t put you in a good bargaining position 

Yup. Zegras will never be on a winner if paid like a core player. He cheats more than Horfat Wallet. 

[Rekker]

7 hours ago, Outsiders said:

Zegras next to Petey would be nasty

I think Petey is too much of a real hockey player to want that D slacker on his line. 

[Alflives]

Just now, Rekker said:

I think Petey is too much of a real hockey player to want that D slacker on his line. 

Yup. We want to have a winning club. Zegras is a cancer to any team he’s on. He’s a selfish loser baby whiner coward. 

[Rekker]

Just now, Alflives said:

Yup. We want to have a winning club. Zegras is a cancer to any team he’s on. He’s a selfish loser baby whiner coward. 

Ya, I'm not a fan of him. Not my kind of player. 

[IBatch]

8 hours ago, BlockerHigh said:

His defensive play is awful. Yes plus minus isn’t the be all and end all but Troy Terry was only -8. zegras is a Center and has pretty important defensive responsibilities and definitely cheats the game for points .

 

It will be interesting to see what happens here. It may be they will move him to the wing, with Mctavish and Carlsson now, and don’t want to pay him center money. But getting 60 pts 2 years in a row but also -20 or worse doesn’t put you in a good bargaining position 

 

if he’s a 65 pt player with that negative of a plus minus, he’s also clearly getting most of his points on the pp Vs 5 on 5. Again suggesting poor defensively and not a true “65 pt player”.

 

65 pts minus your -25 to be even would be a 40 pt guy who’s given a lot of PP time. This is what Verbeek is probably seeing. 

 

 

Actually he's not feasting on the PP, unlike Brock and Horvat and others that have done for us,  19 of his 23 goals were EV and 13 of his 42 assist on the PP.     His stats are closer to EP's ratio than a lot of stars in this league who score up to 50% of their points on the PP.    He's not feasting on it that's for sure.   Agree they might move him to the wing if he can't learn to back-check.   

 

Zegras was 51st league wide in EVP last year, ahead of Horvat, Miller, QHs .. 

 

As far as his plus minus goes - look at his teammates.  Strome minus 30.   McTavish minus 19.    Who was taking the tougher opposition?    The entire roster was a minus magnet.   Why I used Edler as an example, minus 35 during our rebuild and led the league.  There were 14 ducks, most in the top 9  and top pairings, who were -19 to -30.    Zegras wasn't leading the team in that regard either.   He's for sure their first line center right now.   And i'm sure there are bridging him because they aren't sure they really have the right guy too.  

 

    McTavish is the guy they likely end up trying to lock down long term.   He's going to be a great two way center in this league.   Was also a guy I hoped we'd have a chance to draft,  ANA went off board, but wasn't surprised either.     Built for this league and did it right away.   Zegras isn't a player i'd be stoked to have on our team if what you see now is what you get.   Maturity issues.   Pat Verbeek played the game a lot differently.  Little Ball of Hate.   My money is McTavish will get offered a deal similar to what Dorion is handing out to his core.   Zegras reminds me a bit of Patrick Kane with his pizzazz.   He was moved to the wing.   

Edited September 22, 2023 by IBatch