The Anaheim Ducks are looking for a bounceback year from forward Trevor Zegras after an offseason of trade rumors surrounding the youngster. In a lengthy interview with James Murphy of RG.org Anaheim’s head coach, Greg Cronin publicly called out Zegras to add another level to his game.
“It’s like anything. You learn to ride a bike, and you’ve never ridden a bike before, and you get up, and you gotta keep riding it until you learn how to conquer it. The competition for him hasn’t been at the top of the value system – and I don’t mean he doesn’t compete at all – but does he compete in those areas where he’s not really comfortable competing? Like net-front battles or wall battles. He’s so skilled and talented that he can use his stick as a tool to create offense. So, we’re just asking him to be a little stiffer in those areas I identified“.
It may be a make-or-break year for Zegras as the young forward has struggled to respond positively to Cronin’s system. Zegras was limited by injuries in the 2023-24 season but only scored six goals and 15 points in 31 contests. The 2024-25 season will mark a transitionary period for the Ducks as the organization’s young prospects are fully expected to carry most of the responsibility. Zegras’ competition level in the upcoming season, or lack thereof, may lead Anaheim to pull the trigger on a trade.
Other Pacific notes:
- The Ducks will be without their first-line right-winger for the next few days as Derek Lee of The Hockey News reports Troy Terry is considered day-to-day with a lower-body injury. There shouldn’t be any concern about his availability for Anaheim’s regular season opener but he has not been on the ice for the past few days. Terry has been one of the most consistent forwards for the Ducks during their rebuild finishing first or second on the team in scoring over the last three years.
- There are no concerns for Seattle Kraken forward Tye Kartye who took a maintenance day this afternoon while dealing with a minor ailment (X Link). Kartye is developing into a strong depth scorer for the Kraken after winning the AHL’s Rookie of the Year in 2022-23. He finished his rookie campaign last year with 11 goals and 20 points in 77 games and is again expected to fill an important role in Seattle’s bottom-six.