Breaking down the Zegras trade
Zegras had been rumoured to be traded for a while now. I personally thought Anaheim would give him a shot under Quenneville because I think his play declined due to Greg Cronin's system as he managed to play well under Dallas Eakins. That is why I thought he would've done well with Joel Quenneville and believe Anaheim shouldn't trade him just yet. The reason I wouldn't have done this personally is because if it did workout under Quenneville, I think if they did decide to trade him they may get a lot more in return to build their value. Because I personally do believe Zegras to be a good hockey player, but needs the right coach and players. I think Philadelphia is a unique fit for him given that he is reunited with his friend, Jamie Drysdale, but not good in a media aspect because I think sure he can handle being in front of a lot of cameras, but being criticized by the media too much isn't good for his game. But on the ice, I could see potential chemistry with Michkov, but I feel he's only good for a team looking to battle for a wild card spot and Philly is more on the competitive side. The thing about Philadelphia is the fans always have high expectations being one of the best sport cities in the world, and the city heavily relies on its teams. I mean sure, all cities do, but Philadelphia has a big local sports bar scene which attract tons of fans. Anaheim, not so much, the expectations aren't always high in Anaheim. I question how Zegras will do under Rick Tocchet.
I think I would've liked to have seen Zegras in Vancouver given he'd been a great 2C behind Pettersson and would've fit in well with that room. Another two teams I would've liked to see him with would either be the Minnesota Wild or New Jersey Devils.
As for the return for Zegras, I found it to be too low. Ryan Poehling is a good hockey player, and maybe it'd be good for him to be in a low-stress market like Anaheim because he started out in some of the most stressful hockey markets in Montreal and Philadelphia. I think he's good for Quenneville's system.
Who wins the trade: Anaheim - They improved the room, they got more bang for their buck in Poehling, while also receiving a 2nd and 4th round pick. I personally think second-round picks to be valuable given they can be used properly in many valuable ways. I know I said Anaheim could've gotten more, but the return for Zegras they got isn't terrible.
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