January 10, 2024 | 12:05Pm ET
TheFourthPeriod.com
WOULD ANAHEIM TRADE ZEGRAS?
Ducks GM Pat Verbeek
Having completed one major trade this week, adding Cutter Gauthier from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for defenceman Jamie Drysdale and a 2025 second-round pick, the Anaheim Ducks got a head start on their activity with less than two months until the NHL trade deadline.
Ducks GM Pat Verbeek is going to be active over the next several weeks as he has multiple players that are generating interest and some who are playing on expiring contracts.
Forwards Adam Henrique, Jakob Silfverberg and Sam Carrick, and defencemen Ilya Lyubushkin and Robert Hagg are set to become unrestricted free agents July 1. It is possible the Ducks move all five players prior to the March 8 deadline.
Henrique and Lyubushkin have already attracted plenty of interest, and as TFP’s David Pagnotta reported on Tuesday, Henrique understands he is likely being moved and has communicated to the Ducks that if a deal does take place, for family-related reasons, he would prefer it to occur prior to March.
Henrique, who turns 34 next month, owns a 10-team no-trade list as part of his contract and will have some say in where he potentially ends up.
Ducks goaltender John Gibson and forward Frank Vatrano are also expected to be talked about over the next two months, as clubs have expressed interest in both, as well.
However, the Ducks could look to complete another major move involving another major young star.
As Pagnotta reported yesterday morning in his column and later discussed on “NHL Tonight” on NHL Network, the Ducks have entertained interest in forward Trevor Zegras.
Some teams around the NHL believe the Ducks would consider moving Zegras, who has two more years left on his current contract, though a trade is not imminent.
“Trevor Zegras is another name, since the summer, who has been popping in and out of chatter around the league,” Pagnotta said on NHL Network. “I expect that to kind of continue, (but) I would be a little bit surprised if it happens during the season. But something to watch is Trevor Zegras’ future in Anaheim. There has been a lot of talk about that since the off-season; that could translate into potentially another big move for the Ducks later on this summer.”
While it is unclear which teams have approached Verbeek about Zegras, Pagnotta speculated one team to watch is the Montreal Canadiens.
Zegras, 22, has tallied four goals and three assists in 20 games with the Ducks so far this season.