Talented Anaheim Ducks forward Trevor Zegras hasn’t been a stranger to trade speculation and rumors over the past 15 months. Speculation began following the Ducks' acquisition of Cutter Gauthier from the Philadelphia Flyers which sent Jamie Drysdale the other way.
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Questions were raised about Zegras’ fit within the direction Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek envisioned for his club. The speculation evolved into rumors as opposing GMs picked up the phone to inquire about Zegras’ availability and reports surfaced that Verbeek “was listening” to offers.
Zegras was injured with a broken ankle at the 2024 trade deadline so calls cooled at that point, but rumors lasted through the draft, free agency, and the 2025 trade deadline.
The arrival of Montreal Canadiens’ 2024 fifth-overall draft pick Ivan Demidov unearthed a rumor surrounding the 2024 NHL Draft involving a trade proposal between the Montreal Canadiens and Anaheim Ducks that included Zegras.
The rumor began on Montreal-focused websites and was clarified on Friday, with a report from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on his “32 Thoughts” column and podcast.
“Montreal was working on a deal for Zegras,” Friedman said. “They were trading for him and they were offering one player, I believe a young defenseman, and they were offering a first-round pick.”
The Canadiens held two first-round picks at the 2024 Draft, the fifth overall pick and the 21st.
“It wasn’t the number-five pick,” Friedman continued. “It was the pick that eventually drafted Michael Hage. That pick was in the deal to Anaheim. Where I think that changed was when Anaheim took (Beckett) Sennecke, Montreal realized Demidov was getting to them.
“I talked about this with Eric Engels on Tuesday and one of the things that Engels talks about covering the Canadiens all the time is that Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton, they’re very careful about redundancy. They don’t like redundancy.
“I think they felt if they were going to draft Demidov, then that was going to lead to redundancy if they traded for Zegras.”
The young defenseman rumored (not by Friedman) to be coming back Anaheim’s way was former first-round pick (31st overall in 2021) Logan Mailloux.
To recap, the proposed trade was Trevor Zegras to the Canadiens in exchange for Logan Mailloux and the 2024 21st overall pick.
This trade would have altered the complexion of both teams heading into the 2024 Draft and free agency, as well as the 2024-25 season. The Canadiens are likely heading to the playoffs for the first time since their improbable run to the 2020-21 Stanley Cup Final.
The Ducks season has been more of a roller coaster, but they’re threatening to accumulate 80 points in the standings for the first time since the 2021-22 season when they totaled 76.
Zegras has received nothing but praise from Verbeek and Ducks head coach Greg Cronin this season. They’ve often remarked on his progression in terms of attention to detail and willingness to dedicate himself to becoming a 200-foot player.
Zegras has one year remaining on his three-year contract that carries an AAV of $5.75 million. He will become an RFA upon expiry and is also eligible for an extension on July 1, should the Ducks see him as a part of their long-term plans.
The Zegras rumors won’t cease until he’s either traded or extended, so the situation will continue to be monitored closely.