We will likely have to trade Zajac eventually

[Daniel]

Like others here have noted, Lou should immediately try to sign Zajac to an extension that makes sense financially. However, seeing the amount of money the Wild threw at Parise, I doubt he'll agree to anything less than $50 million over no more than eight years. He knows that Winnipeg will be chomping at the bit to give him a massive offer next summer. I doubt he feels any particular loyalty to the Devils, especially now that his friend Parise is gone. The only thing standing in the way of that is the uncertainty of the new CBA, but I don't expect it to alter things that dramatically.

So what to do? Maybe the best thing to do is trade him now, again assuming he isn't interested in a fair extension. We can't lose another top skater for nothing. If we wait to the trade deadline, we likely get the same return that Atlanta got for Kovalchuk, i.e. crappy. If we pull the trigger now, we could also get a first from a bubble team that could be pretty good, or pretty bad.

So, right now, can we package Greene or Tallinder and Zajac to Winnipeg for Winnipeg's first this year and Scheifle or Trouba.

Again, I'm not trying to hysterical about this, but we have to start making the best out of a dicey situation.

[MadDog2020]

Like others here have noted, Lou should immediately try to sign Zajac to an extension that makes sense financially. However, seeing the amount of money the Wild threw at Parise, I doubt he'll agree to anything less than $50 million over no more than eight years. He knows that Winnipeg will be chomping at the bit to give him a massive offer next summer. I doubt he feels any particular loyalty to the Devils, especially now that his friend Parise is gone. The only thing standing in the way of that is the uncertainty of the new CBA, but I don't expect it to alter things that dramatically.

So what to do? Maybe the best thing to do is trade him now, again assuming he isn't interested in a fair extension. We can't lose another top skater for nothing. If we wait to the trade deadline, we likely get the same return that Atlanta got for Kovalchuk, i.e. crappy. If we pull the trigger now, we could also get a first from a bubble team that could be pretty good, or pretty bad.

So, right now, can we package Greene or Tallinder and Zajac to Winnipeg for Winnipeg's first this year and Scheifle or Trouba.

Again, I'm not trying to hysterical about this, but we have to start making the best out of a dicey situation.

So you want to trade arguably our best defenseman and inarguably our best center for a pick and a prospect? Got it. Look, Lou just doesn't do business this way and he isn't starting now. Zajac will re-sign or he'll walk. That's it.

[ghdi]

If the rumors about Parise turning down an offer from Lou in January are true, he needs to go to Zajac similarly and try to get a deal done. If he turns us down, then and only then do I want to even consider trading him.

Trading Zajac now is the definition of kneejerk.

[Neb00rs]

I have a feeling Zajac will stay. He likes the system here and unlike Parise, he is truly a Devils-type player internally as well as externally.

If he makes it to UFA he will be offered $$$ but we have room to compete now with Parise gone.

Edited July 6, 2012 by ben00rs

[Jerzey]

Yeah no more of this letting our UFA's get to July 1st sh!t.

Make them your best offer as early as possible in the season. If they turn it down they obviously want to test free agency. Trade them while you can still get a decent return.

I wish Lou had trade Zach to Minnesota after he signed the 1 year deal last year. With the hard on they have for Zach over there we probably could've gotten Granlund or something nice in return.

[adavid]

Are we turning into the New Jersey Thrashers?

[Zubie#8]

Are we turning into the New Jersey Thrashers?

No, Boulton left silly.

Edited July 6, 2012 by Zubie#8

[Daniel]

So you want to trade arguably our best defenseman and inarguably our best center for a pick and a prospect? Got it. Look, Lou just doesn't do business this way and he isn't starting now. Zajac will re-sign or he'll walk. That's it.

A top prospect and a potential top ten pick for a good defenseman and a very good center who could be gone in a year for nothing. That's a similar return that Pittsburgh got for Staal.

Whatever Lou's way of business has been, we can't keep losing good players for nothing.

Again, I'd rather not resort to this. Try to get an extension ironed out now. But if it's clear Zajac wants to go to unrestricted free agency, we have to get something for him.

[SegaDevil]

Whatever Lou's way of business has been, we can't keep losing good players for nothing.

So by your rationale, Brodeur should have been traded before July 1st since there was a slight chance of him walking? Trade Kovalchuk instead of trying to sign him two years ago? How is a GM to know who's going to walk and who's going to stay? Lou should trade every upcoming UFA for a draft pick?

[MadDog2020]

A top prospect and a potential top ten pick for a good defenseman and a very good center who could be gone in a year for nothing. That's a similar return that Pittsburgh got for Staal.

Whatever Lou's way of business has been, we can't keep losing good players for nothing.

Again, I'd rather not resort to this. Try to get an extension ironed out now. But if it's clear Zajac wants to go to unrestricted free agency, we have to get something for him.

Ok, then how 'bout this (in the event Zajac won't re-sign only, of course): call Cheveldaeoff and ask about Enstrom. See if Enstrom would be willing to sign an extension here. If he would, package Zajac and Greene for Enstrom and Little. Thoughts on that? Just spit-balling really.

[capo]

Zajac is a nice player not an all-star. Keep that in mind...

[Neb00rs]

So by your rationale, Brodeur should have been traded before July 1st since there was a slight chance of him walking? Trade Kovalchuk instead of trying to sign him two years ago? How is a GM to know who's going to walk and who's going to stay? Lou should trade every upcoming UFA for a draft pick?

While I disagree that we should trade Zajac bc I think he will re-sign - Daniel does have a point and your logic is faulty. We traded FOR Kovy, that's why we didn't trade him away - so that made no sense. At FA he happened to stay here. Marty is at the end of his career and didn't know what he wanted to do - he also spent his whole career as a legend here - along with us doing amazing this year so we didn't trade him.

Zajac is at the point where a star player decided where he wants to play for the bulk of his career - the reason a player spends this long on one team at the start of their career is the draft and RFA rules make it so. So this is where you either trade a player in his last year or re-sign him ala Kovy ala different star players every season.

[Bibby89]

I am a really big Little fan, but if that trade was to happen, there would be like 4-5 ex Thrashers on this team and I really dont want that to start here, since that clearly didnt work out well. That being said, I would like Enstrom and Little here

Edited July 6, 2012 by Bibby89

[Jerzey]

What about packaging Zajac for Evander Kane (assuming the rumors are true that he wants out of Winnipeg)?

[Neb00rs]

Zajac is a nice player not an all-star. Keep that in mind...

IMO Zajac is at perennial all-star level - his style of game just won't get him there that much. He is maybe a top 5 defensive forward in the game today.

Ok, then how 'bout this (in the event Zajac won't re-sign only, of course): call Cheveldaeoff and ask about Enstrom. See if Enstrom would be willing to sign an extension here. If he would, package Zajac and Greene for Enstrom and Little. Thoughts on that? Just spit-balling really.

we're getting ripped off there big time.

[AEWHistory]

So by your rationale, Brodeur should have been traded before July 1st since there was a slight chance of him walking? Trade Kovalchuk instead of trying to sign him two years ago? How is a GM to know who's going to walk and who's going to stay? Lou should trade every upcoming UFA for a draft pick?

This is poor logic. The chance of Brodeur leaving was tiny at most. The chances of Parise leaving were reasonable. And going back further, it was hardly surprising that Neidermeyer left. he was dragged thru the mud in arbitration, he wanted to play and live out west, and he wanted to okay with his bro. Gomez and Holik were also not a lock to resign.

so, for th sake of argument, if a player is about to become a FA and you have a 99%chance of resigning, then yes you keep them. If your chances of resigning are 75% then you need to seriously consider getting something in return. If your chances are 50/50 or less then absolutely I would trade them. Fact is, the only absolute is that there are no absolutes.... So saying that just because there is ANY chance you trade the player is stretching the OPs rationale to the absolute. This critique doesn't hold water. If, otoh, the OP were to make that argument, I would disagree with him.

Edit: sorry, didn't see Ben00rs post before I wrote this.

Edited July 6, 2012 by AEWHistory

[lucifer91]

IMO Zajac is at perennial all-star level - his style of game just won't get him there that much. He is maybe a top 5 defensive forward in the game today.

+1

He is one of my favorite players. Also, if he left, Lou would send his brothers packing too.

[ghdi]

Also, if he left, Lou would send his brothers packing too.

This is actually a really good point. His whole family is in our system right now. Obviously, he's friends with Zach, but just because Zach left doesnt mean Travis will.

We have the money and desire to re-sign Zajac long term. Its up to him if he does. Its premature to be having discussions on trading him now IMO.

[snartly]

I don't know if this would be more creepy than supportive, but I have Zajac's address in Jersey. Maybe we could send him letters telling him to sign back with jersey before July 1, just maybe he would. But, even if we did not, he would choose wether or not to do so.

[sundstrom]

i hate the idea of trading zajac so i agree that the best course would be and try and lock him up. if he doesn't want that, i would not deal him for propects and picks. the devils just went to the SCF and are adding season ticket holders and growing the fanbase. losing parise was a step back. dumping zajac for picks/prospects and not being that good next year is another big step back.

if we're dealing zajac+greene, i want evander kane back.

[MadDog2020]

IMO Zajac is at perennial all-star level - his style of game just won't get him there that much. He is maybe a top 5 defensive forward in the game today.

we're getting ripped off there big time.

Ripped off? Enstrom is a better player than Greene and Little is a 24-year old center who put up 24 goals last season, and has scored 30 before. Only question on Little would be his defensive game, not really sure about that (he went from a plus-11 to a minus-11 last year, for what its worth).

[Daniel]

This is actually a really good point. His whole family is in our system right now. Obviously, he's friends with Zach, but just because Zach left doesnt mean Travis will.

We have the money and desire to re-sign Zajac long term. Its up to him if he does. Its premature to be having discussions on trading him now IMO.

Well this all for fun.

But again, the longer we wait, the less the return.

[Neb00rs]

I don't know if this would be more creepy than supportive, but I have Zajac's address in Jersey. Maybe we could send him letters telling him to sign back with jersey before July 1, just maybe he would. But, even if we did not, he would choose wether or not to do so.

Or maybe he'll leave to get away from this stalker-esque fandbase.

Ripped off? Enstrom is a better player than Greene and Little is a 24-year old center who put up 24 goals last season, and has scored 30 before. Only question on Little would be his defensive game, not really sure about that (he went from a plus-11 to a minus-11 last year, for what its worth).

I feel you are severely underestimating Zajac's worth. He is one of the best players in the league.

Edited July 6, 2012 by ben00rs

[RedArmy8]

Lets take a deep breath and talk in two weeks.

[Daniel]

i hate the idea of trading zajac so i agree that the best course would be and try and lock him up. if he doesn't want that, i would not deal him for propects and picks. the devils just went to the SCF and are adding season ticket holders and growing the fanbase. losing parise was a step back. dumping zajac for picks/prospects and not being that good next year is another big step back.

if we're dealing zajac+greene, i want evander kane back.

I would want that too, but I get the sense he's untouchable.

Guess I'm just a sucker for first round picks and top prospects. Probably why I'm spewing my thoughts on a fan message board and not in the GMs office.