With the 9th Pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, the Anaheim Ducks Have Selected Trevor Zegras From the US NTDP Program.
About Trevor Zegras
In hockey, there has to be a balance between playmaking and shooting in any good lineup. While Trevor Zegras may not be the best shooter in the world, his role isn’t going to be a shoot-first center at the NHL level. Instead, he’ll use his elite-level passing to make a name for himself and potentially become a No. 1 pivot in the NHL.
THW Prospect Profile Excerpt
“The USHL will be well represented at the top of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. As it stands, there are six players from the US U18 National Team Development Program who are in consideration to go top-10 in the draft, including Jack Hughes who is almost a lock for the first-overall selection.
While Trevor Zegras may not be in the discussion for first overall alongside Hughes and Kaapo Kakko, he is still in top-10 consideration and it’ll be surprising to see him fall much lower than that when all is said and done.
A six-foot center with tremendous hockey IQ and playmaking ability, Zegras is as good a passer in this class as it gets. It doesn’t matter where he is on the ice or where he wants the puck to go, he finds a way to move it to his teammates with crisp accuracy that almost always lands on tape. He’s creative and capable of adapting to the situation.
That passing works well for him on the rush and with offensive zone time established but it’s also an excellent tool on the power play. Many teams employ a player along the half-wall during their power plays and Zegras is the perfect option to fill that role for a team at the next level once he’s ready to make the jump.
It would be nice to see him shoot the puck more as he sometimes overpasses due to his refusal to shoot in prime situations. Despite this, he’d still score 26 goals in 60 games last season to go along with his 61 assists.
Related: NHL Draft Guide | 2019 Edition
Without the puck, Zegras is almost as effective as he is with it. He consistently remains moving regardless of the situation or where he is on the ice. Whether it’s the defensive zone, neutral zone or offensive zone, Zegras is always looking to make a play with his smarts and anticipation and almost always seems to be moving in the right direction.
Committed to play at Boston University next season, Zegras will get a chance to hone his craft in one of the best development programs in the country at the collegiate level.
This could do Zegras some good as he learns to not go over the line during scrums in between whistles and after periods. It could also do him some good to work on his shot as passing alone won’t get him to the NHL. Still, with passing as good as his, it would be shocking to see Zegras never find success at the NHL level in some way, shape or form.
Full player profile can be found here
How This Affects the Ducks Plans
The Anaheim Ducks fell from grace in 2018-19 and they’ve already made some pretty significant changed to their core. Part of those changes included the buyout of Corey Perry who was drafted by the team in 2003. Getting Zegras gives them another forward they can ideally build around for the future.
While Perry was a prolific scorer for the Ducks, though, Zegras will look to make his impact in a more similar manner to Ryan Getzlaf as a pass-first center.