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The Anaheim Ducks announced today that they’ve signed Trevor Zegras to a three-year contract extension, which carries a $5.75 million cap hit.
Zegras is 22 years old and scored 23 goals and 65 points in 81 games with the Ducks last season. He had missed the Ducks’ training camp and preseason up to this point, as a result of not having a contract in place.
Zegras’ contract status was a big storyline for the Ducks at this point, so getting him re-signed is obviously a key step. He’ll be factored in as a major part of the team’s future, and based on what we’ve seen to this point, it’s likely that he hasn’t hit his ceiling yet.
As for the contract itself, it does seem like somewhat of a missed opportunity for the Ducks to extend Zegras long-term. Anaheim has the cap space, and had the chance to lock up the player through the entire prime of his career.
That said, that’s not always something that’s in the team’s control, and from a player’s perspective, there’s certainly a justification for taking a bridge deal now to cash in later. Plus, Zegras’ $5.75 million cap hit also comes in slightly lower than what I had projected for his contract earlier this summer.
That contract projection article at HockeyComparables.com can be viewed here:
- ARTICLE: Projecting Trevor Zegras’ next contract
So while they weren’t able to extend Zegras long-term, the Ducks are getting good value on his bridge deal for the time being. Pat Verbeek has been willing to wait on the extensions for both Troy Terry and Trevor Zegras, and it’s hard to argue with the cap hit of either deal.
It’s also going to be interesting to see where Zegras goes from here. There’s no shortage of talent and he could be due for a breakout year, but it’ll also be important to see how much he’s able to round out his game. With other high-end young centers in Mason McTavish and Leo Carlsson as part of the franchise as well, it probably remains to be seen as to whether his long-term future is down the middle or on the wing.
Regardless, the Ducks have Zegras back in the fold, and hopefully, he’ll be a big part of the team taking a step this season.
Anaheim Ducks Blogger • 
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