Think they'd rather Konecny.

Flyers decline. They're trying to compete now, not a few years down the road. Picks and prospects don't really interest the Flyers, especially when it's for one of their best players who's on a great contract. Creative offer though. Not a typical recycled trade you see all the time on here.

It's really poor asset management from the Ducks side too. Konecny is the best player in the deal, but Rakell is no slouch and Lundestrom has the potential to be a top level, two-way 2/3C. The picks are also super valuable to us as a retooling/rebuilding team.

We have enough quantity at C, Getz-Zegras-Steel-BOG-Rico (in no particular order) in the top 9 over the next few years and we're basically just upgrading Raks to TK

Getzlaf is on the decline. Rico can play wing. Steel may not stay at C. We have 1 legit top 6 C option in Zegras lined up for the future. Our C depth is okay, but we're going to get destroyed by LA once their guys come through unless we do something about it (Byfield/Stutzle, Turcotte, Vilardi, Kupari, Thomas). IMO, we need another elite 1C option if we're to be a serious competitors down the line as well as an elite 1D, preferably RH. Perhaps Rossi can be that 1C option. Otherwise, I think we need a couple more high picks before we're ready to go. It's just a shame we don't have any future elite D-men in the system as they tend to take longer to develop.

I am not against moving Rakell, but the difference between Rakell and Konecny isn't Lundestrom + a bunch of picks (Ghost is worth like a 3rd right now).

we also don't have any future elite wingers (which TK fixes) and while those players can play wing, that doesn't mean they all will, our forward depth is fine, (Steel 2C, Comtois 2W Terry 2/3W, Lundestrom 3C/W, BOG 2/3C, Heinen/Milano 2/3W, Jones 3W) and all we're really giving up here is depth (by depth I mean anything other than first liners lol)

Well maybe that's the problem here because I don't think Konecny is an elite winger. I mean, you're talking about a guy that has a max season point total of 61 pts with only 24 goals. For me, when you're talking about "elite wingers" you're talking about Panarin, Pastrnak, Marchand, Kane, Kucherov (and obviously Ovi)... guys who can produce 40+ goals and/or 90+ pts a season. I don't think Konecny is at that level and likely never will be. He's still a great top line winger, but not elite for me.

In any event, I don't believe we need an elite winger to win a cup. PIT never had an elite winger when they won, neither did LA. What they did have was a deep set of Cs fronted by an elite C. We don't have that yet. Although I believe Zegras is on a trajectory to become a top line C, I don't think he'll be elite. Hence, I think we need to another C. We should also continue to bolster the backend and hopefully find an elite option there too. Elite Cs make the wingers around them better. I'd rather be strong down the middle and compliment those Cs with competent wingers. Comtois could be a 30 goal scorer. If we add Rossi or Raymond this year, that gives us another option. Tracey could end up another top 6 option. We've got Milano, Terry, and could move Steel to the wing. Lots of options, just need to find chemistry. However, the whole premise is based on the idea that you have the top-end C talent.

It is shame that we missed on Ritchie. Can you imagine how we'd be if that was an Ehlers or Nylander!

Those guys (other than Kane and Ovi) are franchise guys, I would guess most "great first line wingers" are probably elite imo

I agree, I'd rather have elite C's than W's, but we aren't giving up any elite C's here, and most teams win with two 1C capable players, which if we draft Rossi, we'll have... and most teams that do win have an elite winger (Pasta/Marchand, Oviish, Guentzel year 2, Kane x3, Datsyuk in 08 in DET etc)

sadness... and I thought Ritchie was really good (compared to most people)

Okay, perhaps your definitions make a little more sense i.e. 1st liner --> elite --> franchise --> generational. I often use "elite" to describe the very best players at their respective positions, but franchise might be better. In that case, I think we need a "franchise" C to become a real competitor and, probably, a franchise D. I'd be interested to here your thoughts on our prospects and their projected outcomes. For me:

Zegras - Elite 1st liner
Steel - mid-6er
Comtois - Elite 1st liner
Lundestrom - mid-6er
Jones - bottom 6er
Tracey - mid-6er
Terry - mid-6er
BOG - bottom 6er

Larsson - bottom pairing
Guhle - bottom pairing/AHLer
Mahura - bottom pairing
Thrun - bottom 4.
LaCombe - top 4D
Andersen - bottom pairing

The other thing I have difficulty with is that most of our guys are playmakers, which makes it very difficult to build a line-up that I'd feel comfortable saying is competitive. Rossi would be a great addition. Again, I'm not sure I see franchise C in him though. However, his scoring touch would be most welcome.

I think Steel can be a good top 6 guy, same with Comtois, kind of like a Bryan Rust in PIT, solid top 6 forward, but if you find a line he fits well with he can be PPG, Mahura can be bottom 4, and as of RN, Thrun>LaCombe, I think both have top 4 potential, and yeah, we do have a lot of playmakers/TWF's... Comtois is probably the best goal scorer in the system...? if we can get Rossi, and hopefully find a guy later in the draft (MARAT possibly) that can be an elite winger I think we'd be fine with like Comtois-Rossi-x/Rakell-Zegras-one of Terry BOG Tracey Heinen or Milano/x-Steel-x, Comtois can be that Rust type on the first line (not many first lines have 3 elite players anyway, unless they don't have much depth) and Raks has shown he can be good when paired with an elite C, defense is tough, I def don't think we need a franchise d man, with Gibson, but unless Lindholm bounces back, we need a number 1 guy, preferably an RHD (Brandt Clarke) who can "shelter" a Thrun LaCombe or Mahura etc on the left, then have a very very good second pair with Lindholm-x (Manson maybe, maybe Fowler) and whoever isn't on the first pair on the left side is gonna be a stupid good bottom pair guy, rn at least I don't think we'll compete like BOS, with a loaded first line, we'll compete more like 1st year VGK, can run 4 lines and have 3 d pairs, get one or two guys like Gibby (MAF) and one of Rossi Zegras Comtois (or x) to play above their heads (WK) and compete from there (and hopefully proceed to fleece a team out of a top 5 player in the league bc Melnyk is too cheap to pay him)