Negotiations over Trevor Zegras’ new contract dragged on and it was the Anaheim Ducks forward’s defensive play that raised questions.
One day after signing his three-year contract, the 22-year-old American was back on the ice with his teammates. He barely had time to put a blade on the ice before head coach Greg Cronin took him under his wing.
“He explained to me how to play defense. We were doing exercises around the circles and the first thing he did was take my stick and throw it into the corner. It was pretty interesting, but we have work to do,” Zegras said with a laugh in an interview posted on the Ducks’ website.
As a center player, the young man naturally has an additional responsibility. During his first three seasons, Zegras made up for his defensive deficiencies with exciting offensive play. Before agreeing to a long-term deal with him, general manager Pat Verbeek wanted to make sure the ninth overall pick in the 2019 draft was on the same page as him.
“I think being able to play at both ends of the ice and across the entire surface is an important aspect of the contract,” Zegras said. [Le DG] emphasized that, and if you want to play in this league you have to submit to that. I think Cronin is the right man for it.”
“It’s difficult to work on defense in the summer. At this level, getting bigger, stronger and faster usually helps, so I’m trying to build on what I have,” the 6-foot-1, 185-pound player added.
Ten days of preparation
For now, Zegras is happy to have found common ground with the Ducks, who gave him an average annual salary of $5.75 million.
The first goal will be to re-establish chemistry with his teammates in practice, as he is not expected to play any preseason games until the start of the regular season on October 14.
“Every ice hockey player knows how important a training camp is. Luckily, I was able to skate with the US Development Program in Michigan for at least a week. “I definitely have some catching up to do, but I feel good,” he said.
Last season, Zegras led Anaheim with 65 points in 81 games. He also recorded 88 penalty minutes and a differential of -24.