(Photo : (Photo by Rich Gagnon/Getty Images)) BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – OCTOBER 26: Trevor Zegras #11 of the Anaheim Ducks celebrates a aim by teammate Troy Terry to tie the sport within the remaining minute in opposition to Linus Ullmark #35 of the Boston Bruins on the TD Garden on October 26, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts.
With an abundance of younger, high-upside facilities within the group, may the Anaheim Ducks be seeking to commerce the flashy Trevor Zegras?
It is odd to suppose that it may very well be within the playing cards, as simply two years in the past Zegras burst onto the scene in his first full season with 61 factors in 75 video games earlier than following it up with 65 factors in 81 video games final 12 months.
During that point, he flipped pucks over the online for teammates to bat in targets, he scored targets along with his stick between his legs, and he usually displayed a complicated skill to course of defenses and make the most of inventive stickhandling maneuvers to generate alternatives.
He grew to become one of many younger faces of the league, and younger followers beloved his exuberance and penchant for entertaining. For some time, it appeared as if Zegras would assist lead Anaheim out of its rebuild, changing into the face of the franchise and one of many league’s high stars.
But accidents and struggles this season have lowered Zegras’ inventory, and the additions since final low season of Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier to Anaheim’s group of younger forwards may go away the New York native because the odd man out.
There has been hypothesis that common supervisor Pat Verbeek may desire transferring Zegras for different younger belongings or draft capital, with the chance that he doesn’t see Zegras’ play type as the best match for his imaginative and prescient for the crew.
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NHL Trade Deadline: Trevor Zegras
Contract Situation: 3 years at $5.75 million cap hit; RFA upon expiry
Potential Destinations: Montreal, Philadelphia, Detroit
If Anaheim is definitely making Zegras out there, just about each crew within the league ought to attempt to become involved. While it is truthful to marvel if his defensive downsides make him not a match on a crew constructing round greater two-way forwards, gamers of this talent stage don’t change into out there usually.
There are loads of examples of groups with a very good defensive infrastructure already in place bringing in an offense-dominant ahead, sheltering his minutes and reaping the rewards of such a talent set.
His contract, too, makes him an enormous discount for the manufacturing he is put up till this season. He’s nonetheless bought two full seasons left at this worth level after this one, and any crew buying him nonetheless has management over his rights when the deal expires.
The Ducks can be sensible to hold on to him, not promote on the lowest level of his worth, and maintain a range of talent units of their ahead ranks as these gamers mature.
But in the event that they do transfer him, Montreal makes a ton of sense as a touchdown spot. The Canadiens may use one other ahead to pair with their younger group consisting of Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, and Juraj Slafkovsky. The concept of a Slafkovsky-Zegras-Caufield line may be very tantalizing, with the overbearing Slafkovsky creating area for Zegras’ passing acumen and Caufield’s deadly shot.
Philadelphia simply acquired his former teammate and longtime good friend Jamie Drysdale within the deal that despatched Gauthier to Anaheim. Could the Ducks and Flyers hyperlink up on a commerce once more? It can be a very good match for a Flyers ahead unit pretty devoid of playmaking skill.
Likewise, Detroit is one other up-and-coming younger group that may very well be a very good match. Zegras may slot in behind entrenched first-line middle Dylan Larkin and crew up with one among Detroit’s younger goalscorers.
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