A 23-year-old forward who’s already hit 60 points twice in his career on a team transitioning out of a rebuild would be a tough pill for any general manager to send away. Anaheim Ducks General Manager Pat Verbeek has made it evident that the Ducks plan to acquire young forward talent. Anaheim has selected both Leo Carlsson and Beckett Sennecke with top three picks. They also sent away defenseman Jamie Drysdale for forward Cutter Gauthier in a blockbuster trade. This makes forward Trevor Zegras expendable. At least, that's how the rumor mill is turning.
Zegras's value is at the lowest in his career, making it attractive to think that he’s in trade rumors. Even with his production down, it would be hard to find another player on the market who's as intriguing as Zegras. Verbeek isn't just going to settle.
The Devils got their point across. They’re physical. They currently lead the NHL in hits with 409. New acquisitions Paul Cotter, Stefan Noesen, and Brenden Dillon both slot inside the top 20.
Adding the physical element has made this team more well-rounded. What has made them dominant in the past is their ability to play with speed and skill. Zegras would fit that mold perfectly.
The top six for New Jersey have been better as of late. Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt are both over-point per-game players. Nico Hischier hit the 10-goal mark early, and Timo Meier hasn’t had the slow start he had last season.
Both of the Devils top two lines are top 30 in xG/60. Neither of them sit inside the top 20 though. With the type of talent already there both lines have the opportunity to be among the league's best. Adding a player like Zegras and moving Ondrej Palat down in the lineup would make this top-six more lethal.
The Devils would be able to send out two elite scoring lines. Slotting Zegras on either line would instantly make them more of a threat. They would add the type of speed and creativity that would be tough for any opponent to match up with.
With a revamped bottom six that has found its chemistry, focusing on the offense in the top six would be beneficial. We’ve seen it before, and we’re seeing it again: Hughes and Bratt take over games with their offensive play. Zegras, who has a similar playing style, would only add to that advantage.
Zegras may be available, but it would come at a steep price. Anaheim's recent emphasis on acquiring young forward talent to the point where they’re looking to move one would suggest that the Devils' defense is tough to crack. Seamus Casey burst onto the scene offensively this year and was sent down after eight games. Former number two overall pick Simon Nemec they are looking for defense in return. The Devils have some options here.
The Devils' defense is tough to crack. Seamus Casey burst onto the scene offensively this year and was sent down after eight games. Former number two overall pick Simon Nemec joined him this past week. New Jersey took Russian defenseman Anton Silayev with their 10th overall pick this past draft.
Their defense is built, and they’re loaded with young prospects. By no means would it be easy to give up any of these young prospects? Looking at this team right now, do any of them have as big of an impact as Zegras? It's just based on the situation of an already built defense with term on contract. When would these players get the opportunity to play in top roles? Zegras would make an instant impact in a top role.
Is it ideal to trade any of these three players? No. If you did have to give up one to add Zegras to this team I would argue it makes sense. The Devils would still be able to keep two of them while also forming two elite lines and a complete bottom six. To get a good young player through trade you have to get comfrotable with the idea of sending a good piece back.
Zegras builds on the team's idea of playing with speed and skill, leading to domination in the transitional game and offensive zone. He fits the age range and would make this team better. The Devils should definitely take a hard look at him.