ANAHEIM, Calif. —It's Trevor Zegras trade rumor season again, but this time the rumors are quite a bit more ferocious. The following tweets were written Monday morning by a Montreal-based analyst for TSN, the Canadian sister station to ESPN:
Listen to a general manager when he tells you about a player. This time it's Pat Verbeek telling you who Trevor Zegras is as a player. Verbeek was a tough skilled player and he's a not a fan of Zegras' soft skill. Guhle or Reinbacher for Zegras is just silly.
— Eric Macramalla (@EricMacramalla) June 10, 2024
Verbeek asking for Guhle or Reinbacher for Zegras is sort of funny. He's telling us Zegras doesn't have what it takes and he would like a player that does.
— Eric Macramalla (@EricMacramalla) June 10, 2024
The message here is not merely that this fan doesn't want his precious Montreal Canadiens to trade either of their top prospects for Zegras; it's that Zegras isn't very good. He doesn't "have what it takes."
This is, of course, utter nonsense. We could present the statistics and video evidence that suffocate these ignorant and entirely biased claims, but why bother? Any discussion that begins with a failure to acknowledge Zegras' remarkable gifts is a non-starter. There is no point in formulating a viable argument against some so blinded by his bias.
Still, there have been opportunities for Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek to stomp out the incessant Zegras trade rumors, most notably last week when he was asked about them by Pierre LeBrun. Verbeek declined to answer any such questions and his silence is telling. Given his tendency to sign and draft big, powerful hockey players like Cutter Gauthier (six-foot-two, 189), Leo Carlsson (six-three, 194), and Sam Colangelo (six-two, 205), Zegras' six-foot, 185-pound frame is an outlier.
Verbeek is constructing a team he expects to be very difficult to play against and Zegras, while incredibly skilled, literally doesn't fit the mold of the aforementioned Ducks. Does Verbeek's preferred player profile mean a smaller speedster like Zegras can't coexist? Only Verbeek knows that answer, and he's not telling.
There are three possible outcomes to this scenario: (1) Zegras could play out his contract in Anaheim; (2) Verbeek could sign Zegras to an extension, or (3) trade him. Zegras signed his second Ducks contract in October—a three-year deal worth $5.75M per season—so the likelihood of an extension in Anaheim less than a year later is virtually zilch. A separation between Anaheim and Zegras has long been rumored, but a trade is not guaranteed and Zegras could still be a Duck when training camp starts this fall.
The question for Verbeek now becomes one of value. It is he, not a wholly biased TSN analyst, who will determine Zegras' value on the open market.
FEELING A DRAFT
A major pivot point in this story appears to be the 2024 NHL Draft on Fri., Jun 28. The Ducks hold two first-round picks (including number three overall), two second-round picks, and three third-round picks. As has been widely reported, Verbeek made clear at a speech to Ducks season ticket holders several weeks ago that he's seeking a top-six, right-shot winger and a right defenseman this offseason. One assumes at least one of those pieces would be a part of any potential trade.
Still, losing Zegras would sting immensely. While NHL fans and even some media representatives from other teams have made a habit of diminishing his impact because he's played on a bad team, Ducks fans have watched him blossom into an entertaining, fun-loving, miracle-creating NHL player. He led the team in points (65) in 2022-23. It is not a stretch to suggest that Zegras was one of the primary reasons there were still fans inside Honda Center watching the team during it's dismal play over the past couple of seasons. Ducks fans have gobbled up t-shirts with Zegras' face emblazoned on the front. They've purchased video games with his likeness on the cover. They love him.
Zegras's speed, creativity and elite hand-eye coordination make him as easy to root for as a golden retriever puppy. He is one of the league's few players who looks like he's having a blast playing in the NHL, and that unabashed joy notoriously caught the eye of one of the league's most truculent and humorless coaches. But that's one of the great aspects of Zegras' play: it's defiant. He plays the game in ways other can't or don't. Some, like Tortorella, interpret his limitless, exciting play as disrespect, flippancy or as a personal affront to the very serious and intense game of hockey. Hogwash. The joy is the whole point. It's why he can do what he does.
If this is Zegras' swan song in Anaheim, it will occur because Verbeek thinks he can improve the team with the piece(s) he gets in return, not because Zegras is in any way deficient.
