As sports fans know, the rumor mill never dies. Trade proposals are everywhere. And we're not just talking about reporters or those "in the know." We're talking about your friend from work who comes up with the most ridiculous trade offers that make you wonder if they even know what they're talking about.
You don't pay them any mind because it would be ridiculous even to consider. But when it comes from a source with inside knowledge, you give it a little more attention. That doesn't mean you give it much validity, though. Sometimes, even those in the business come up with wild rumors and have their own crazy reasoning for it.
That brings us to the Quinn Hughes of it all. It's becoming extremely likely that things will come to a head in Vancouver. It would be smarter for them to get a haul for him now than to possibly lose him for nothing in a year and a half. Sure, they could turn things around and convince him to stay.
But if there is any concern that he's not willing to wait things out, you have to pull the trigger while the iron is hot. With that comes rumors from all around about what they want in a trade and who might be interested. Mind you, 31 other teams love to have Hughes on their blueline. The Flyers are no different.
But would they actually be able to do it? And would he want to sign long-term? Because if you're trading for Hughes, you want that commitment now. The topic of what it could take was brought up on a recent episode of Spittin' Chiclets. And it gave us the most absurd trade proposal.
"I would trade Michkov straight up for Quinn Hughes in a second." Paul Bissonette said.
Bissonette offers such an absurd trade proposal that Flyers fans have to be laughing
Before even getting into some of the reasoning Bissonette gave, just let that above quote sink in. Michkov is certainly facing the sophomore slump. But to give up on a cornerstone piece of your franchise so quickly when you are fighting for elite talent? And to do it after you made such a big deal in bringing Michkov to North America early. That alone is a reason it won't happen.
But then it comes down to why Bissonette would make that trade offer. And his reasoning alone is also laughable.
"He showed up in training camp the way he did. I think he could maybe be a point-per-game player. He doesn't move very well, and that would scare me. If anyone with a brain is just watching, he does not have a long, fluid stride. He has a choppy stride. What does everyone talk about how you can become an elite player in the league now? You have to be able to skate. It's not gonna change overnight. I don't know if he's got that hip mobility...he doesn't look like MacKinnon, he doesn't look like a gazelle through the middle of the ice."
So, because his skating "scares you," you would trade him? If teams looked at skating alone, plenty of players would have never made it. There are plenty of players who get drafted every year with skating concerns. Yes, some of them face real issues, but that hardly scares teams away from them. How many players have the Flyers drafted that came with skating concerns? And how often have they either found ways to overcome it or worked on moving better?
Yes, there were issues with how Michkov came into camp. But it's clear how seriously he is taking things and working on fixing it. He has fully admitted the problem and even addressed how he plans to train differently next summer, spending his offseason in the Voorhees area. There is no concern that Michkov won't find a way to become better.
And should we even go into the comparison to a player who has been in the league for 13 years?
We're talking about a player who just turned 21 and recently reached the 100-game mark. The issue at hand is that Michkov was declared a savior by so many people that when he falls short of their expectations, it becomes his fault. How dare he struggle and not be the player they said he would be this early in his career.
The most ironic part of Bissonette's comments wasn't even about Michkov. When discussing the Devils, Bissonette wondered what that would mean for Luke Hughes and if the Devils would trade for Quinn after paying the younger Hughes. He added that he had his fair share of struggles but that he was young and there was plenty of runway left.
So wait, you mean a 22-year-old who has been struggling has time to get better? But a 21-year-old should be traded because his skating doesn't look good? In what world does that make any sense? Apparently, only one player has the chance to get better. That's basically what Bissonette said in making that comment.
Acquiring Hughes would be great, but the Flyers are smarter than that. They aren't going to trade Michkov for him. It's just not happening.