Latest news with #HenrySamueli
New York Times
8 hours ago
- Business
- New York Times
Zegras trade sets up intriguing offseason for Ducks, who have a win-now mandate
The long-rumored trade of Trevor Zegras by the Anaheim Ducks was always going to provoke a knee-jerk reaction — as every trade seems to do these days. On Monday, general manager Pat Verbeek was either sharply criticized or outright roasted because of the perceived paltry return. Zegras, the runner-up for the 2022 Calder Trophy, was pawned off on the Philadelphia Flyers for a fourth-line center and two draft picks, neither of which is in the first round. It is a major letdown for Ducks fans, many of whom thought Verbeek would hold off on a trade until he was blown away by an offer. Advertisement The public skewering of Verbeek will be deserved if he doesn't come out of this offseason with a proven high-impact scorer. But after this trade, Verbeek has even greater flexibility to deliver on the ownership-driven mandate to propel the Ducks back into prominence. Henry Samueli, who bought the Ducks with his wife, Susan, in 2005, wants back in the Stanley Cup chase after seven challenging seasons outside the postseason. Samueli, who normally stays far away from the spotlight, spoke in no uncertain terms last month about making the playoffs when Anaheim introduced Joel Quenneville as its new coach. 'That is the pressure we're putting on both Pat and Joel,' he said. 'They know that the fans and the ownership expect to make the playoffs this (next) season. There's a lot of pressure to put on a coach and a GM. But you got to do it.' So, how did Samueli respond Monday after Verbeek traded one of his most marketable players for two draft picks and a role player in Ryan Poehling? 'He was completely fine,' Verbeek said. 'He understands that there's moves that have to be made. Ultimately, Henry wants to win, and I have to make moves that I feel can improve the team and the chemistry of this team and the makeup. He was fine with it.' Even from a hockey standpoint, the trade made sense. Zegras seemed to have hit something of a wall with the Ducks. He dealt with two years of ankle, knee and groin injuries amid a lot of unfulfilled potential, stunted in part by the team's demand for him to improve his two-way play. Zegras' talents are too good to waste in third-line minutes, and there appeared to be no way he'd push either Leo Carlsson or Mason McTavish to the wing. But moreover for Verbeek and the Ducks, this is the time to get something big done – whether it's this week during draft preparations or when free agency opens on July 1 – and the Ducks now have an even greater ability to hunt down a game-changer. The trade netted the Ducks salary-cap savings of $3.8 million, giving Anaheim what PuckPedia estimates is $36 million available this summer. And they've also now got two second-round picks (Nos. 49 and 60) to go with their own No. 10 choice in the first round. Advertisement Mitch Marner is the obvious connection, given the Ducks' need for an offensive star (particularly on right wing) and their desire to have their young core flanked by playoff-tested veterans. The Ducks are believed to be interested, although that interest could turn cool depending on how high Marner wants to go in average salary. There is no getting around what Marner could potentially make ($14 million AAV in a rising-cap environment), and his impact as a difference-making star has diminished in recent postseasons. The Ducks might have considered throwing that kind of money at Mikko Rantanen had he hit the open market. But Marner at $11 million probably sounds more palatable to the Ducks than putting him in Leon Draisaitl territory — and then counting on him to have a Draisaitl-sized thumbprint on a playoff series. One problem for the Ducks is that, beyond Marner, this year's free-agent class is short on the type of players they need in order to take that huge step forward. Sam Bennett, the newly crowned two-time Stanley Cup champion and Conn Smythe Trophy winner, would be welcomed in Anaheim but seems to want to stay in Florida. John Tavares and Brad Marchand are probably unrealistic. And the UFA forward mix drops off sharply after Nikolaj Ehlers and Brock Boeser. Pursuing a trade means giving up assets, instead of just cash. But Verbeek has shown that he won't be afraid to deal. The Ducks have other youngsters — outside of Carlsson, McTavish and Cutter Gauthier — to put into play, although Beckett Sennecke, last year's No. 3 pick, is one they would seriously prefer to keep off the table. Asked whether he'd consider trading the No. 10 pick, Verbeek said, 'Yes. I'm looking at that as well. Certainly. I think there's a lot of teams looking at that. You can go after a player that's probably in his prime right now and be able to add to the group. So, there's certainly some of that stuff we're exploring.' Advertisement Does that mean Martin Nečas, a past trade target, will get looked at again? JJ Peterka? Maybe a less-costly Bryan Rust, once his no-move clause expires? It's hard to say. None of that is going to matter if Verbeek can't land a big fish. But he scoffed as the suggestion of increased pressure on him to deliver after getting a small return for Zegras. 'There's no pressure,' Verbeek said. 'We're going to go about the process. You're recruiting. It's no different than trying to recruit a player to go to college for your team. It's no different. It's the same process. Now you're dealing with professionals. You have to put your best foot forward and try and sell your team. You have to try and sell the players. There's a lot. Orange County. Ultimately, players make decisions for a lot of different reasons. The pressure is … we're going to do our best and hopefully things work out.' Meanwhile, trading Zegras and bringing in Poehling — after his trade for Chris Kreider this month — further illustrates how Verbeek views the Ducks' lineup coming together. 'Obviously, Chris is a big kid,' Verbeek said. 'He's 6-(foot-)3, 230. I'm looking at Ryan Poehling. He's 6-2, 215 pounds. They're mature players. And based on their roles and stuff, this is part of the different chemistry and different makeup that I'm looking to get accomplished. Where they fit will be ultimately left up to Joel as far as the line combinations. 'But we have a vision of where they're going to play, and we'll see. Ultimately, they're going to be great fits for our team and how Joel wants to play. He wants to play fast and they have the ability to play fast and forecheck. It's going to be about playing fast.' Even at his best during his early days in Anaheim, Zegras wasn't that kind of player. He was a creator who worked a little more deliberately to execute his inventive playmaking for himself and his teammates. The Ducks were a better team when he was on the ice (especially so offensively), but Verbeek clearly had questions (or, perhaps, reservations) about how much better they could be. Perhaps the bridge (three-year) contract Zegras signed in Oct. 2023 —instead of a long-term deal — laid the groundwork for his departure. Advertisement 'I wouldn't accept (the) premise on the question that he was never in my long-term plans,' Verbeek said on Monday. 'You have to intimately get to know these players and their games. I felt that I got to do that.' But the fact that Verbeek never poured cold water on Zegras trade rumors only fueled speculation that Zegras wouldn't be part of the long-term core. Verbeek acknowledged widespread interest in Zegras, whether it was through teams gauging what he might cost or Verbeek floating his availability. The saga of whether Verbeek might trade Zegras is finally over. The story of Verbeek's ability or inability to build a winner in Anaheim has only begun.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ducks Owner Breaks Silence on Joel Quenneville Hire
The Anaheim Ducks' hiring of former Chicago Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville has certainly sparked up massive debut. Quenneville was part of the 2010 Blackhawks scandal, where the team covered up a sexual assault claim from a former player. The veteran coach has been out of the league for a few years, but was reinstated last summer. The Ducks circled in on Quenneville shortly after they let go of former coach Greg Cronin, looking to him to help them get back on top. Advertisement Anaheim has missed the postseason for multiple years, but they finally have a young core growing. Quenneville could be a solid coach on the ice, but his off-ice reputation could cause some issues. Ducks owner Henry Samueli broke his silence on the hiring, acknowledging the negative response the team may get for it. '(My wife) Susan and I have built a reputation in this community, hopefully a good one. Obviously preserving that is really important. We know that there will be negative comments on social media, but to us it's most important that we maintain our integrity. Did we do a thorough investigation? Are we comfortable with Joel and his current state of health and being and mental wellness? And we are comfortable. Very comfortable. We're really not overly worried that it's going to become a problem." Joel Quenneville stands on bench during Panthers Guillory-Imagn Images There have been many around the sport who are concerned with this hire. Some don't feel that Quenneville deserves a second chance, while others believe that he has served his time. Advertisement The Ducks seem to believe that Quenneville is the correct person to lead them forward, and for their sake, they better be right. Quenneville will now be tasked with taking a young team forward, but he has a lot of work to do in repairing the trust of the entire hockey community. Related: Ducks' Joel Quenneville Releases Statement After Coaching Announcement
New York Times
09-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
In rare comments, Ducks owner Henry Samueli discusses Joel Quenneville, spending, a playoff push
ANAHEIM, Calif. – Long content to stay in the background, Anaheim Ducks owner Henry Samueli stepped into the spotlight on Thursday when his team introduced Joel Quenneville as the 12th head coach in franchise history. In this moment, Samueli needed to address Quenneville's return to the NHL after a three-and-a-half-year exile — much of that under a league-levied ban before his reinstatement last July — as punishment for his inactive role in the Chicago Blackhawks' sexual assault scandal. Samueli discussed how he arrived at a comfort level in hiring the second-winningest coach in NHL history, but one whose hiring has brought sharp criticism from some. Advertisement Samueli, the 70-year-old Orange County philanthropist who now has owned the Ducks for 20 years, also took the opportunity to talk big about raised expectations and giving Quenneville and general manager Pat Verbeek the tools to meet them. It was notable because Samueli rarely does interviews about his team. After seven seasons without playoff hockey — the longest stretch in franchise history — Samueli wants back in the chase for the Stanley Cup. 'That is the pressure we're putting on both Pat and Joel,' he said. 'They know that the fans and the ownership expect to make the playoffs this (next) season. There's a lot of pressure to put on a coach and a GM. But you got to do it.' That was music to Troy Terry's ears. The winger is about to enter his eighth NHL season but he has yet to appear in a playoff game. But he heard Samueli say that he'll support Quenneville and management with financial commitment for any roster upgrades that are necessary. 'It means everything,' Terry said. 'I have been here, and I've been through trade deadlines where we trade everyone that I'm close with that's on expiring contracts. And that's just kind of been the reality of where our team is and what needed to be done. 'And now, kind of ride that whole process out and now having a big jump last year where we still think there's obviously a lot more to build on, to just kind of see the whole evolution and this hiring of a coach and just the commitment to really starting to make this thing go now and have big goals just going into next year. 'It's exciting for me. That's what I've been looking forward to since I came into the NHL — to have those opportunities.' Here are some additional highlights of Samueli's 13-minute media session, which have been lightly edited for brevity. On any concern over the optics of hiring Quenneville '(My wife) Susan and I have built a reputation in this community, hopefully a good one. Obviously preserving that is really important. We know that there will be negative comments on social media, but to us it's most important that we maintain our integrity. Did we do a thorough investigation? Are we comfortable with Joel and his current state of health and being and mental wellness? And we are comfortable. Very comfortable. We're really not overly worried that it's going to become a problem. Advertisement 'Yes, we'll hear negatives. Fine. We'll deal with it. And I fully respect people who have negative opinions or going to have negative comments. There's a lot of people who are victims of abuse, and I have nothing but the most respect for them. We'll listen and try to convince them that we really did go through a thorough process and that Joel really is a good person who happened to make a mistake. I feel comfortable that we can deal with the situation.' On not hiring another coach without Quenneville's baggage 'First of all, as you've heard a million times, you can't argue with his record. A younger coach, there's risk. They may have great experience, but do they really have that track record in the NHL? So going with somebody who's been in the NHL, second-winningest coach all the time, he doesn't have to prove his capabilities. We know his capabilities. 'And then we looked at his prior record of working with teams who were in a very similar situation as the Ducks. A lot of young talent ready to break out. And he's done it twice. He did it in Chicago and in Florida, although he didn't carry it all the way through in Florida, but we see how great of a team they've turned out to be. So, the fact that he has a historical record of greatness, but he's also being put in a position where he's been in twice before and succeeded twice before lowered the risk for us, and that's the reason you would go with him.' On the team's plans in working with sexual abuse survivors and advocacy groups 'As Pat mentioned (during the news conference), we're already very deeply involved in the community. Susan, in fact in the foundation, does work with sexual (assault and) human trafficking. So many organizations we're working with in the abuse area. And, so, the connections are already made. It would be very easy for us to introduce Joel to those folks, and he can get more involved on the philanthropic side with what we're doing in our foundation. It will happen. And I'm very confident that Joel will be a star when it comes to working with those organizations.' On where the Ducks are at in their evolution 'It has been a long, painful process, but we felt that we've reached a point where the rebuild is coming to an end. It really is. And it's time to take the step to becoming a perennial playoff contender and eventually Stanley Cup contender. We said, 'Look, if we want to take that step, we really should bring in a coach who's been there, done that.' And that was one of the main reasons for wanting to bring someone like a Joel Quenneville in, because we felt comfortable that he could take us from the end of a rebuild to the beginning of a playoff era. Advertisement 'We were a perennial playoff team. Five-time division champion. We've been through that, so we know what it's like and you miss it. And I miss it personally, going to playoff games. So that's one reason we were willing to write a much bigger check this time around than in the past, because bringing in someone of Joel's stature obviously going cost more money. But we're willing to make that investment into the team. And then we've told Pat, same thing when going out and looking for players. You will have the budget you need to make this a serious playoff team and you don't have to pinch pennies anymore. Do what it takes to make this a good team.' On allowing Verbeek to spend to a salary cap that is rising ($95.5 million in 2025-26) 'If necessary. He's going to spend wisely. We're not going to write stupid checks. But I told him, you do what it takes to make this a really steady perennial playoff contender and Stanley Cup contender down the road. And if it means signing big-name free agents, go for it. We told him going forward you will not be constrained by the budget.' (Photo of Henry Samueli at the 2024 NHL Draft: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Insiders At Broadcom Sold US$251m In Stock, Alluding To Potential Weakness
Many Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO) insiders ditched their stock over the past year, which may be of interest to the company's shareholders. When evaluating insider transactions, knowing whether insiders are buying is usually more beneficial than knowing whether they are selling, as the latter can be open to many interpretations. However, shareholders should take a deeper look if several insiders are selling stock over a specific time period. While insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing, logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares. Trump has pledged to "unleash" American oil and gas and these 15 US stocks have developments that are poised to benefit. In the last twelve months, the biggest single sale by an insider was when the Independent Chairman of the Board, Henry Samueli, sold US$121m worth of shares at a price of US$188 per share. That means that an insider was selling shares at around the current price of US$171. While insider selling is a negative, to us, it is more negative if the shares are sold at a lower price. Given that the sale took place at around current prices, it makes us a little cautious but is hardly a major concern. Broadcom insiders didn't buy any shares over the last year. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below! View our latest analysis for Broadcom For those who like to find hidden gems this free list of small cap companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket. The last quarter saw substantial insider selling of Broadcom shares. In total, insiders sold US$131m worth of shares in that time, and we didn't record any purchases whatsoever. In light of this it's hard to argue that all the insiders think that the shares are a bargain. Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. It's great to see that Broadcom insiders own 1.2% of the company, worth about US$9.6b. I like to see this level of insider ownership, because it increases the chances that management are thinking about the best interests of shareholders. Insiders haven't bought Broadcom stock in the last three months, but there was some selling. And there weren't any purchases to give us comfort, over the last year. It is good to see high insider ownership, but the insider selling leaves us cautious. So these insider transactions can help us build a thesis about the stock, but it's also worthwhile knowing the risks facing this company. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 3 warning signs for Broadcom you should know about. If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt. For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions of direct interests only, but not derivative transactions or indirect interests. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Sign in to access your portfolio
