With Jamie Drysdale gone, is Trevor Zegras next out the door for the Anaheim Ducks?

Few teams do a better job of capturing behind the scenes than the Anaheim Ducks, but they might have missed some of the most compelling content of the season on Monday: Jamie Drysdale saying goodbye to close friend and fellow Ducks first-round pick Trevor Zegras.

The Philadelphia Flyers shocked the hockey world when they moved on from malcontent Cutter Gauthier on Monday, sending him from the Orange and Black to Orange County in exchange for Drysdale and a second-round pick. It was Zegras who recently said that him and Drysdale “do everything together,” including some odd details, as they rehabbed from twin lower-body injuries this season.

Could Zegras be following Drysdale out the door?

When you look at the prospect base GM Pat Verbeek has put together, the door is open for him to move on from Zegras. The Ducks now have Leo Carlsson, Gauthier, Mason McTavish up front alongside Troy Terry, plus Pavel Mintyukov and Lukas Dostal, and a slew of other names on the way.

Sources say Verbeek has mentioned Zegras’ name in conversation with teams this season, though it remains unclear how far (if at all) those talks advanced. On one hand, it is a bit surprising given Zegras was on the cover of a video game, his infectious personality has been largely the face of the franchise, and he netted two 60-point seasons before the age of 21 on a team without much support.

On the other hand, Zegras doesn’t seem to mesh with the style of play Verbeek envisions for the Ducks. That much was made clear when the Ducks ground Zegras through a tough contract negotiation that resulted in a three-year bridge deal and a missed training camp. (Drysdale also missed most of camp with his negotiation, in which many noted that Verbeek exacted every ounce of leverage possible. Look how that turned out.) The result has been a brutal start to the year for Zegras, who oozes creativity like few players we’ve seen.

Zegras may not have said to Drysdale: “Take me with you.” But it hasn’t been all rainbows and sunshine for ‘Z’ in Anaheim.

Daily Faceoff’s 2024 Trade Deadline Countdown: 60 Days

With exactly 60 days to go until the March 8 deadline, the Daily Faceoff countdown is on. We’ll have trade deadline oriented coverage on DailyFaceoff.com every day leading up to the big day. There are intriguing situations to watch in Ottawa (see No. 10) and a percolating goalie market.

While a trade doesn’t appear to be imminent for Zegras, teams say he is available, which makes him No. 4 on our first Trade Targets board of 2024:

Trade Targets

1. Elias Lindholm
Center, Calgary Flames
Age: 28
Stats: 40 GP, 8 G, 17 A, 25 Pts
Contract: Pending UFA, $4.85 million AAV
Scoop: How often do top flight centers become available in the NHL? The answer is not very often, which is one reason why the Flames pushed to get Lindholm signed to a long-term extension before the season started. He’s a difficult guy to replace. His production this season has dropped off pretty significantly, on track for 50 points after being in the 80-point range twice. In a disappointing year, Lindholm represents an extraordinary opportunity for the Flames to harvest significant assets which they can then use as trade chips to reconfigure their roster. His low salary cap hit only adds to the reasoning as to why he would could be the No. 1 most valuable player on the market.

2. Sean Monahan
Center, Montréal Canadiens
Age: 29
Stats: 39 GP, 10 G, 13 A, 23 Pts
Contract: Pending UFA, $1.985 million AAV
Scoop: Strong teams are built down the middle. When healthy, Monahan shapes up to be one of the great trade chips of this deadline. He’s been productive, playing at nearly a 50-point pace this season, and he doesn’t cut corners in his own end. He’s overcome a lot in the last few years with injury and his character is commendable. There’s no doubt Monahan wants a taste of a deep playoff run, and he appears to be an ideal third-line center option on a Stanley Cup contending team.

3. Chris Tanev
Right Defense, Calgary Flames
Age: 33
Stats: 37 GP, 1 G, 6 A, 7 Pts
Contract: Pending UFA, $4.5 million AAV
Scoop: Anyone interested in Tanev needs to do no more than cue up his video from before the holidays in which he dove face first to quite literally eat a shot from the point. His reasoning? “Just trying to do whatever it takes to not get scored on,” Tanev said after the game. He oozes commitment and strong defensive play. He’s a warrior. It’s just also that willingness to do whatever it takes that gets him into trouble, as it seems like he’s going down the tunnel with a ding or dent on a near nightly basis. There are questions about his durability. But he’s only missed 20 games in 4 seasons with the Flames – and he might be the perfect rental.

4. Trevor Zegras
Center, Anaheim Ducks
Age: 22
Stats: 19 GP, 4 G, 3 A, 7 Pts
Contract: 2 years remaining, $5.75 million AAV
Scoop: To say that the start to this season has been bumpy for Zegras would be kind. He missed most of training camp after the Ducks played hardball with his bridge deal, opting to pay him $5.75 million per year for three years, sending a message to the rest of the league that maybe they weren’t believers in him after back-to-back 60-point seasons. He scored just once in his first 12 games. Then Zegras missed the next six weeks (from Nov. 7 to Dec. 23) with a lower-body injury. And shortly after the holidays, one of his closest friends in Jamie Drysdale, was shipped off to the Flyers. Is Zegras next?

5. Noah Hanifin
Left Defense, Calgary Flames
Age: 26
Stats: 40 GP, 6 G, 13 A, 19 Pts
Contract: Pending UFA, $4.95 million AAV
Scoop: Hanifin is a tricky one for the Flames. In a perfect world, not all their pending free agents can fly out the door, they’ve got to keep one or two to allow them to compete next year. They made Hanifin a target to do just that – nearly inking what was believed to be a seven-year deal north of $50 million. It sounds like he got cold feet as the deal got down to the final strokes. That wasn’t all that comforting for the Flames, who knew last summer that his preference was to play in the U.S. long-term. Hanifin has said and done all the right things, and two years younger than Lindholm also fits their age scheme a bit better. They haven’t exactly closed the door on an extension, but a quality offer might pry him loose from Calgary.

6. Tony DeAngelo
Right Defense, Carolina Hurricanes
Age: 28
Stats: 21 GP, 2 G, 7 A, 9 Pts
Contract: Pending UFA, $1.675 million AAV
Scoop: DeAngelo has languished has a healthy scratch of 18 of the last 27 games as the Canes have opted to at times to go with Jalen Chatfield in the lineup. Carolina likes Chatfield, who isn’t nearly as dynamic but seen by the team as a better defender, and a less expensive option on the right side. Chatfield earns less than half of what DeAngelo does on the salary cap. As a result, the Hurricanes are looking to move DeAngelo, who collected 42 points in 70 games last year for the Flyers before being bought out in July. They’re willing to facilitate a move and DeAngelo is willing to be flexible with his contract in an effort to get back playing.

7. Adam Henrique
Center, Anaheim Ducks
Age: 33
Stats: 38 GP, 10 G, 10 A, 20 Pts
Contract: Pending UFA, $5.825 million AAV
Scoop: If Henrique had been healthy, there was a good chance he would have been traded at the deadline last March. One of the teams interested: the Dallas Stars. He thrived under Pete DeBoer in New Jersey to start his career. It doesn’t seem like the Stars have either the need for a center or the cap space right now, but it’s worth keeping an eye on. Henrique is back for another tour of duty with the Ducks, holding down the second line center spot. His footspeed has slowed, but his game is well thought-out and under control. His high Hockey IQ is a valuable commodity.

8. Andrei Kuzmenko
Right Wing, Vancouver Canucks
Age: 27
Stats: 34 GP, 8 G, 11 A, 19 Pts
Contract: 1 year remaining, $5.5 million AAV
Scoop: It’s been a wild ride for Kuzmenko, who has gone from penthouse to doghouse in one year’s time in Vancouver. Last season, Kuzmenko fell one goal short of 40 and 75 points in his debut NHL campaign. He parlayed that into a two-year, $11 million extension, but has fallen short of coach Rick Tocchet’s “non-negotiables” one too many times this year. That has resulted in six healthy scratchings, plus the bulk of the season playing in the bottom six. Now what? The best case is Kuzmenko bends a little and conforms to Tocchet’s scheme and the Canucks solve their own problem. Vancouver would prefer to not sell low on Kuzmenko. But if that isn’t going to happen, Kuzmenko represents an opportunity to better utilize $5.5 million on the cap for a team that is knocking on the door of contender status.

9. Sean Walker
Right Defense, Philadelphia Flyers
Age: 29
Stats: 40 GP, 4 G, 9 A, 13 Pts
Contract: Pending UFA, $2.65 million AAV
Scoop: Walker has been a pleasant surprise for the Flyers, who are open to just about anything that will make them better for the long haul. In Los Angeles, Walker was as much of a cap casualty as he was a victim of a roster logjam – particularly on the right side of that defense. Sean Durzi was also moved and the Kings still have Drew Doughty, Jordan Spence, Matt Roy and then Brandt Clarke in the minors. Playing with fellow pending free agent Nick Seeler (see below), Walker is playing north of 21 minutes for the first time his career and is making the most of his new opportunity. The Flyers stand to reap the rewards of that, too.

10. Jakob Chychrun
Left Defense, Ottawa Senators
Age: 25
Stats: 35 GP, 7 G, 18 A, 25 Pts
Contract: 1 year remaining, $4.6 million AAV
Scoop: The Sens have been one of the most active teams in the league in recent weeks as they examine who will be part of their core for the long haul. Multiple teams have inquired about Chychrun, acquired from Arizona just 10 months ago, and they haven’t been told that Chychrun is unavailable. The truth is, the Senators have a logjam on the left side of their defense. Although Chychrun can play the right side, both Thomas Chabot ($8 million) and Jake Sanderson ($8.05 million extension) are also both left-shooting defensemen. That’s $20.65 million in left-shooting defensemen, nearly a quarter of the total cap, and the question about an (expensive) extension for Chychrun will come up this summer. Ottawa has some important decisions to make.

11. Petr Mrazek
Goaltender, Chicago Blackhawks
Age: 31
Stats: 26 GP, 3.26 GAA, .903 Sv%
Contract: Pending UFA, $3.8 million AAV
Scoop: In another year in which down can be up for goaltenders, teams in need of a ‘1B’ or clear backup netminder should be taking a long look at Mrazek. He was left for dead a couple years back by the Toronto Maple Leafs, now in the last year of that three-year deal signed by Kyle Dubas. He’s been quite good for a Blackhawks team that has been overmatched on a nightly basis. That he is north of league average save percentage with that roster in front of him is a real accomplishment. With half retained, Mrazek’s salary cap hit is no problem. And given the typical trade market for goalies, he shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg to acquire. Mrazek also has 29 games of Stanley Cup playoff experience if called upon.

12. Jake Allen
Goaltenders, Montréal Canadiens
Ages: 33
Stats: 14 GP, 3.52 GAA, .900 Sv%
Contracts: 2 years remaining, $3.85 million AAV
Scoop: The Canadiens know that they can’t continue on carrying three goaltenders all season. They’ve avoided placing Primeau on waivers because they know he has no chance of clearing. So, they’re trying to extract as much value as possible from the situation and will be proactive about it sooner rather than later. Allen is a calming veteran influence and well-respected teammate and tandem-mate. Primeau has been jostled around a bit but is finding his confidence and has the tools to be an impact netminder. Now with Sam Montembeault extended, it is clear the crease is his for the longer view, and that makes Allen expendable to a team looking for experience and consistency.

13. Alexandre Carrier
Right Defense, Nashville Predators
Age: 27
Stats: 36 GP, 1 G, 9 A, 10 Pts
Contract: Pending UFA, $2.5 million AAV
Scoop: Carrier checks all the boxes when it comes to a trade deadline acquisition. He’s a rental who has been molded into a reliable, steady defender that can be a positive contributor at both ends of the ice, and he isn’t going to cost an absolute arm and a leg to add to your blueline. He is a plus-34 player for his career and has two Stanley Cup playoff series under his belt. The bigger question might be: Will the juice be worth the squeeze for Nashville? Or are the Preds better off keeping him relative to value in return?

14. Nick Seeler
Left Defense, Philadelphia Flyers
Age: 30
Stats: 40 GP, 0 G, 7 A, 7 Pts
Contract: Pending UFA, $800,000 AAV
Scoop: I’m officially lobbying for a new nickname for Seeler: “Nicky Nails.” He is one of my favorite players to watch, a Human Nail Gun in action on a nightly basis. He is tough, he competes and he wrings every drop of out of his skillset through sheer effort. Did you know that Seeler is actually playing this season on a two-way contract that includes an AHL pay rate? He’s found a full-time NHL role under John Tortorella in Philadelphia, playing more than 17 minutes a night. Seeler is the ideal third pair defensive pick-up.

15. Kevin Hayes
Center, St. Louis Blues
Age: 31
Stats: 38 GP, 9 G, 10 A, 19 Pts
Contract: 2 years remaining, $3.57 AAV
Scoop: After getting acclimated in St. Louis, Hayes has been a pretty impactful player for the Blues over the last month-plus, including an excellent December. Here’s where things get interesting: If the Blues are willing to retain half on Hayes’ contract, they could net a significant asset, with Hayes only counting as $1.785 million on the books for the next two years. He is on track for 20 goals and 40 points. He kills penalties. He is strong in his own end defensively. The Blues traded just a sixth-round pick to Philadelphia to get Hayes last summer. They could get back a lot more now for a relatively inexpensive, ideal third line center on a contender.

16. Jack Roslovic
Center / Right Wing, Columbus Blue Jackets
Age: 26
Stats: 19 GP, 2 G, 7 A, 9 Pts
Contract: Pending UFA, $4 million AAV
Scoop: Roslovic returned on Dec. 29 from an ankle injury that kept him out six weeks since mid-November. He has been quiet with one assist in the five games since. That said, he was off to a decent start to this season on a pure point production basis, though not sure anyone in Columbus feels particularly good about this year. Roslovic is a clearly talented player who has struggled to find consistency on a nightly basis in the NHL. Many thought a return home to Columbus would be the answer. At 26, some wonder if what he is now is set in stone, or whether someone can pull more out of him.

17. Morgan Frost
Center, Philadelphia Flyers
Age: 24
Stats: 29 GP, 6 G, 7 A, 13 Pts
Contract: 1 more year, $2.1 million AAV
Scoop: Hold all tickets, but there may have been a breakthrough between John Tortorella and Frost over the last week, with Tortorella praising Frost for asking for a meeting and getting a few things off his chest. Frost responded with a two point effort against the Calgary Flames and centered the second line. Up until that, things were, ahem, a little frosty between coach and player. Frost has been healthy scratched 11 times already this season. His ice time is down more than a minute from last season, when he put up 19 goals and 46 points. The Flyers aren’t opposed to moving Frost, but to this point, no team has stepped up with a legitimate offer for a change of scenery.

18. Jordan Greenway
Left Wing, Buffalo Sabres
Age: 26
Stats: 28 GP, 3 G, 7 A, 10 Pts
Contract: 1 more year, $3 million AAV
Scoop: It’s been a tough go in Buffalo for Greenway, who was acquired last year on Deadline Day from Minnesota in exchange for second and fifth-round picks. Greenway has posted seven goals in 45 total games with the Sabres. He’s missed chunks of time due to injury – and also missed a couple games this year for personal reasons. Nonetheless, teams are tantalized by his 6-foot-6 frame and a guy who put up some decent numbers in two shortened seasons with the Wild. He has a year left on that deal originally signed in Minnesota.

19. Mike Hoffman
Left Wing, San Jose Sharks
Age: 34
Stats: 39 GP, 8 G, 5 A, 13 Pts
Contract: Pending UFA, $4.5 million AAV
Scoop: The Sharks took on Hoffman’s contract as a salary cap dump in the Erik Karlsson trade (from Montreal) with the express intention of acquiring a flippable asset ahead of the March deadline. After a solid start to the season, that part is looking a bit in doubt now. He’s currently riding a 12-game scoring drought and has scored in one game since Nov. 27. He’s on track for 17 goals this year, but six of those game in a six-game stretch. The bright side: by the time March rolls around, with the amount remaining on his deal, teams might not even need San Jose to retain salary to bring him in. Hoffman has limited playoff experience but he’s scored at a slightly better rate in the postseason than the regular season.

20. Ilya Samsonov
Goaltender, Toronto Maple Leafs
Age: 26
Stats: 15 GP, 3.94 GAA, .862 Sv%
Contract: Pending UFA, $3.55 million AAV
Scoop: Samsonov is in the middle of his ‘hard reset’ in Toronto, sent to the AHL Marlies for both a mental and physical break. Samsonov cleared waivers on New Year’s Day after collecting not just the worst save percentage in Leafs’ history, but the worst in the league this season. How will he emerge? Martin Jones has been excellent – the clear best third goaltender in the NHL. If Joseph Woll can revert to his early season form when he returns from his ankle injury, the Leafs won’t need to answer the Samsonov collection. They could move his $3.55 million cap hit to another team who believes Samsonov can reboot, and then have north of $7.5 million to improve their team elsewhere on defense, when coupled with John Klingberg’s $4.15 million LTIR money.

21. Anthony Mantha
Right Wing, Washington Capitals
Age: 29
Stats: 34 GP, 11 G, 7 A, 18 Pts
Contract: Pending UFA, $5.7 million AAV
Scoop: No surprise here. The Capitals were ready to move on from Mantha last summer. The thought process has been to try and get him going this season in an effort to get a return by March at the deadline. Mantha has come alive again over the last month, posting 10 points in his last 15 games dating back to Dec. 9. He has six goals in that stretch. At $5.7 million, though, it’s a difficult contract to move. It hasn’t quite been three years since the Capitals gave up a 1st, 2nd, Jakub Vrana and Richard Panik for him. Tough trade.

22. Alexandre Texier
Left Wing, Columbus Blue Jackets
Age: 24
Stats: 39 GP, 6 G, 7 A, 13 Pts
Contract: Pending RFA, $1.525 million AAV
Scoop: The Blue Jackets were publicly critical of Texier in discussing their brutal start to the season, lumping him in with a group of players they needed to see more from. He’s on the list of “change of scenery” players. A couple years ago, a few teams were interested when he had 20 points in 36 games, an intriguing name who then missed time with an injury and for personal reasons. Last season, Texier was loaned to Zurich in the Swiss National A league, and it tolled a year on his contract – which makes this year the final year of his deal.

23. Kevin Labanc
Right Wing, San Jose Sharks
Age: 27
Stats: 28 GP, 1 G, 5 A, 6 Pts
Contract: Pending UFA, $4.725 million AAV
Scoop: It’s been am absolute slog in San Jose for Labanc, who began the season as a healthy scratch for consecutive games. Even when he’s been in the lineup, opportunity to produce has been scarce, seeing less than 10 minutes of ice time in four of his last seven appearances. It appears from the outside like Labanc’s confidence has been shattered. A fresh start is desperately needed. Will he get one? Tough to say a team is going to take a flier right now even with half retained – and the Sharks only have one salary cap retention spot left.

24. Andrew Peeke or Adam Boqvist
Defensemen, Columbus Blue Jackets
Ages: 25 / 23
Stats: 13 GP, 0 G, 4 A, 4 Pts / 14 GP, 0 G, 5 A, 5 Pts
Contracts: 2 years remaining, $2.75 million / 1 year remaining, $2.6 million (Boqvist RFA on expiration)
Scoop: The Blue Jackets have been looking to move a defenseman since training camp broke. Here’s the problem: neither Peeke nor Boqvist has much (if any) value. And Columbus is trying to clear a logjam on the backend. The Blue Jackets have hesitated to put either player on waivers, but even that might not clear up the problem. With term on both deals, it’s not likely either gets claimed. Peeke has been a healthy scratch for the bulk of the year and was a minus-41 last season. He could be trending toward an offseason buyout.

25. Jake Guentzel
Left Wing, Pittsburgh Penguins
Age: 29
Stats: 39 GP, 18 G, 26 A, 44 Pts
Contract: Pending UFA, $6 million AAV
Scoop: Guentzel is not in play just yet. His Pittsburgh Penguins have clawed into a tie for both wild card spots after a tough start to the season and GM Kyle Dubas owes this aging core every possible inch of runway to see if they can get in. If not, and it looks like they’ll miss for the second straight spring – even with Sidney Crosby turning back the clock – then Dubas will have little choice but to recoup as much as he can for an elite scoring winger. Guentzel would immediately become the most prized rental trade chip available before the deadline, which is certainly worth keeping an eye on.

Next up: James Reimer, Detroit Red Wings.