You could offer Caufield and MTL 2023 1st and its still a no

Not to mention LD/LHD is the thing the Ducks need the least and it isnt really close

Zellweger, Mintyukov, Hinds, LaCombe

Guhle a very good player but this doesnt get up to Fantilli (I do see in the description you think it wont happen either, just throwing my 2 cents in)

I dont see anything from any team that would get ANA to move out of 2OA, we stuck and picked McTavish at 3OA and that was considered a reach. With how good this class is I dont see that changing

If the leafs traded Auston for #2 overall, the ducks wouldn't do it?

Would you trade 2OA for a player in the final year of his deal with a full NMC?

Matthews refuses to negotiate an extension and goes to market and the Ducks trade 2OA for one season of Matthews and still miss the playoffs because he doesnt make us a playoff team

Seems like a easy and obvious no to me

taking into consideration the type of team the ducks presently have, no i wouldn't do it. But if matthews agreed on an extension yes im 100% on board moving fantilli for matthews. But hell id even move fantilli for caufield and the 5th overall like you stated against so im a bad person to ask

Dude this is just awful

I mean if he signs an extension its a different conversation, but if the reports of him wanting to test the market are true (And TOR wouldnt trade him otherwise) it isnt even considered honestly.

I mean just cause im a stick in the mud and wouldnt trade the pick for anything doesnt mean Verbeek wouldnt, I just said Caufield as a way of saying no and please stop

But... It's the clickbait of the week! I owe it to the general hockey media to post this!

Not from my perspective. I think you still get Michkov and a couple of other pieces.

But like I said... This won't happen, just trying to join the conversation about the what if scenario

Oh ones like this are fine, especially when you admit it likely wont happen

The ones that go too far (I'm sure you agree) are the ones that dont include 5OA and have Josh Anderson + 2023 FLA 1st + 2025 CGY 1st for 2OA

Gotta farm all the engagement you can after the cup finals are over, not a coincidence this came out so close to the finals ending, in the article that starts it all it even says "The chances of a trade up materializing remain very slim, but the Canadiens are definitely trying."

Might as well say "Go flood capfriendly with bad trades for 2OA, the Ducks are aggressively shopping the pick"

Sports Media Journalists are being let go left right and center as ad dollars move from telcos to podcasts. They need to clicks to validate keeping their positions.

Even though it's cheap and happens once every 10-15 years, riling up the general public on twitter and by extension capfriendly is the best way to keep hockey relevant at this time of year

100%...for some reason (Probably because I looked at the comments once), I get those hilarious thehockeywriters.com and habs/Leafs blogs pop up on facebook once in a while, and my lord they're the bait-iest things I've ever seen. "You won't believe who the Habs are about to acquire!" "The cost for 2OA has been set, and Montreal is going to do it!", Etc.

The worst part is that there looks like there's sooooo many people that eat it up

Fans are nuts.

First. There is NOO way Hughes offers this. There is also NOO way the Ducks would refuse this.

So it makes no sense from start to finish. Anyone who thinks this isn't enough for 2nd overall should stick to EA. Also thank GOD Hughes is GM.

I'd be a fool if I bet on the fact that Fantilli has a better prime than Matthews...Matthews is outstanding, he's on track to be a HOFer, and the flack he gets is hilariously foolish.

That being said, I feel like Fantilli for Matthews (with extension) is like your infamous Kessel trade, Burkie! Added an outstanding player (Kessel's prime was excellent), but didn't have any sort of foundation to help him, thus setting the "rebuild" back years, and wasting some of the best years of Kessel's career (3 rings though!).

As a Ducks fan, when I take off the purple shadded glasses, this roster is still miles away. The D-pipeline looks solid (hopefully we'll hit on a couple in the next couple of years), but offensively, aside from Zegras/Terry/McTavish, there's a pretty big fall off when it comes to young forwards.

I think we *need* to keep Fantilli (Carlsson?), and make the major addition a year or two down the road. Build the solid foundation (which has been the direction that Verbeek has been going), and then you start moving picks/prospects for bigger names. 2024 UFA class (currently) looks solid, and I think that's when you start talking about major additions.

That being said, Caufield+5OA would be a dumb one to turn down (though Montreal would never offer it).

Well, I disagree. This entire discussion ignores what I think is a qualitative difference between Fantilli and the other players mentioned in this thread (and elsewhere). Caufield and the player picked with the #5 are cusp All-Stars; Fantilli to me is a franchise player and potential Hart Trophy candidate like Jack Eichel or Leon Draisaitl. Caufield is an excellent scoring winger, there's no doubt about it. But scoring wingers are a dime a dozen . . . in fact, I can name half a dozen that are every bit as valuable as Caufield just in Montreal's own division: DeBrincat and Tkachuk in Ottawa, Tkachuk in Florida, Point in Tampa, Marner and Nylander in Toronto, and that's not even mentioning David Pastrnak, who is on a whole 'nother plane entirely. Two cusp All-Stars (and the chance of the kid picked at #5 not turning out to be one are not insignificant) don't equal a Jack Eichel or Leon Draisaitl.

Cole Caufield has played 113 games over the past two seasons, in which he's scored at a rate of 2/3 of a point per game. That's exactly Trevor Zegras' rate over his three seasons. I'm glad that we'll end up having both Fantilli AND Zegras, but if I had to make a choice, I'd prefer Fantilli to Zegras and the #5 overall pick.

A very poignant analysis sir. I'm enjoying the discussion on this thread immensely!

Oh lawwwwwdddd! The rare disagreement in the Ducks fam!

To be completely fair here-I'm absolutely with you on this...I just think it might just be the small part of me that thinks Carlsson ends up being that pick at 2OA that has me scared...I think it goes without saying that I really, really want Fantilli...I'm just concerned that Verbeek calls an audible at the line of scrimmage, and takes Carlsson instead. Not saying that Carlsson won't be a very solid NHLer, I'd just be very disappointed to pass on Fantilli. The small part of me that would accept 5OA and Caufield is just the part that would prefer Caufield+Smith (Michkov?) to Carlsson.

Cheers brother!

I dunno man, I think Carlsson is the way to go, he is ethereal in the offensive zone. Fantilli by contrast just sorta charges in and hopes for the best.

Also starting to hear rumors that Fantilli intends to return to the NCAA next season.

Yeah, I honestly don't know...I'm just higher on Fantilli than Carlsson...Honestly not going to be heartbroken either way, I just really like the idea of Fantilli. They've done a great job drafting through the Madden years anyway though, so I won't be critical.

No issue on my end if Fantilli plays in Michigan next year though-Another year to grow and fill out, and there's really no rush IMO. Carlsson back in the SHL wouldn't surprise me either.