Last week, Darren Dreger on TSN’s Insider Trading said Calgary Flames General Manager Craig Conroy is looking for an “age-appropriate” centre. The Flames are searching for a top-six centre who can be with the team for the next three-to-five years.
Dreger also went on to say that the Flames could be a bigger player than anticipated at this season’s trade deadline. Now, this could all be lip service, but the Flames have lacked top talent at the centre position since Joe Nieuwendyk was dealt nearly 29 years ago.
This is not a slight to Marc Savard, Daymond Langkow, Mikael Backlund, Sean Monahan, or even Conroy himself. They all performed admirably over the years. The Flames just never could add that highly talented player at centre.
INSIDER TRADING…
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MORE: https://t.co/5JNOPI7LDI pic.twitter.com/py9LaZiytI
What type of player the Flames are looking for
Conroy wants an age-appropriate top-six centre that will be around for three to five years. Enter Anaheim Ducks centre Trevor Zegras. On the surface, he looks calm and ready. His underlying stats are good, too, and he fits every checkbox for the Flames. Don’t get me wrong, I would be ecstatic if Conroy acquired Marco Rossi or even Dylan Cozens, but I’m trying to sell you on Zegras.
Unfortunately, he went down awkwardly in Wednesday night’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights and had to be helped off the ice. There’s no word yet on how serious the injury is or how much time he could miss, but it should not deter the Flames.
Trevor Zegras is assisted to the locker room after an awkward fall. pic.twitter.com/BXrgrECtoE
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) December 5, 2024
Breaking down how Zegras fits the Flames’ wants
Zegras is 23 years young with 235 games of NHL experience under his belt. He’s a natural centre who has played much of that time in a top-six role. Age-appropriate? Check! Top-six centre? Check!
His current contract runs through the end of next season, meaning if the Flames acquired him today, they’d have him for close to two years when it ends.
Per PuckPedia, he will become a Group Three unrestricted free agent when the time comes. For this, a player needs to reach age 27 by June 30 or accrue seven seasons. A player accrues a season when they play at least 40 games. The team’s games count when a player is on the roster but injured. Zegras will be 25 when his current contract ends, and he will have five NHL seasons under his belt.
Since he should have accrued seven seasons by the end of the 2027–28 season, Zegras would become a UFA after that season. By my count, if the Flames acquired him today and kept him until he is eligible to become a UFA, they would have him for close to four seasons. Around for the next three to five years? Check!
Looking at Zegras’ career so far
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016–17 | Avon Old Farms School | USHS-Prep | 28 | 18 | 24 | 42 |
| 2017–18 | USNTDP Juniors | USHL | 31 | 11 | 21 | 32 |
| U.S. National U17 Team | NTDP | 56 | 20 | 39 | 59 | |
| 2018–19 | USNTDP Juniors | USHL | 27 | 14 | 26 | 40 |
| U.S. National U18 Team | NTDP | 60 | 26 | 61 | 87 | |
| 2019–20 | Boston University | NCAA | 33 | 11 | 25 | 36 |
| 2020–21 | Anaheim Ducks | NHL | 24 | 3 | 10 | 13 |
| San Diego Gulls | AHL | 17 | 10 | 11 | 21 | |
| 2021–22 | Anaheim Ducks | NHL | 75 | 23 | 38 | 61 |
| 2022–23 | Anaheim Ducks | NHL | 81 | 23 | 42 | 65 |
| 2023–24 | Anaheim Ducks | NHL | 31 | 6 | 9 | 15 |
| 2024–25 | Anaheim Ducks | NHL | 24 | 4 | 6 | 10 |
The raw production is excellent up until last season. Zegras has been an offensive force since his high school days with Avon Old Farms School in 2016–17. He led that team in scoring with 18 goals and 42 points in 28 games. This is to be expected of a player who is supposed to be a top-six centre in the NHL, though.
For the next two years leading up to his draft, Zegras played for the USNTDP Juniors in the USHL and the U17 and U18 Teams in the NTDP. He played second fiddle to New Jersey Devils superstar Jack Hughes but still managed to stand out with his offensive performances. In 2017–18, he scored 31 goals and 91 points in 87 games. In 2018–19, 40 goals and 127 points in 87 games.
His high-level production saw him drafted ninth overall in the 2019 NHL draft. He moved on to the NCAA the next season, where he played just one season. That season saw Zegras finish third in team scoring as a rookie, with 36 points in 33 games.
Zegras makes his professional hockey debut
Heading into the 2020–21 season—which was a shorter season due to certain global events, if you’ll recall—Zegras made the jump to professional hockey. He split time in the AHL and NHL as the Ducks played him on the wing while they worked on developing him into a pro centre. In the AHL, he scored 10 goals and 21 points in 17 games. Through 24 games with the Ducks, he scored three goals and 13 points. Playing just 24 games meant he would still be considered a rookie next season.
The 2020–21 season also saw Zegras named MVP of the IIHF World Junior Championship, scoring seven goals and 18 points in seven games, helping the United States win gold.
He really broke out in 2021–22. His 23 goals and 61 points were both second behind Troy Terry. Seemingly fittingly, he finished second in Calder Trophy voting as the league’s top rookie. Then, as a sophomore in 2022–23, Zegras tied Terry for first in goals on the Ducks with 23 once again. His 65 points were a team-best.
His downturn started last season when he missed 51 games due to injury. In the 31 games he did manage to suit up for, he put up a disappointing six goals and 15 points. Now, through 24 games this season, he’s sitting on four goals and 10 points and is going to miss some time again.
Looking at Zegras’ underlying stats
Let me preface this by reminding you that the Ducks have been bad for the last several years. Looking at Zegras’ isolated impact at 5v5 courtesy of HockeyViz, we can see what to expect of him. I won’t bore you with the defensive side of his game because it’s been about average. This isn’t why the Flames should be interested in him anyway.
The Flames need a top centre who can help drive the offence, and that’s what Zegras can provide. The charts below show how he’s helped the Ducks’ offence so far. I was not able to get stats for this season, so the charts only include up to the 2023–24 season.
Looking at these charts, we can see that his impact on the offensive side of the puck has improved each year. Nothing jumps off the page, seeing as he has only improved to slightly above league average as of last year, but he’s trending in the right direction.
It’s important to remember that he is still quite young with a lot of hockey ahead of him, and he’s shown continuous improvement thus far. Zegras is still a fine player and has the potential to explode in the right situation. Maybe that’s in Calgary!
The timing looks to be perfect
Public perception of Zegras appears to be at an all-time low. Many see him as a one-trick pony because of his flashy moves with the puck, and they think he’s not a very good hockey player. Here are just a couple of examples of the negativity I’ve seen directed at him:
Was fortunate to have a great seat last night at Sens/Ducks.
— Jari the Hutt (@kurri_jari) December 3, 2024
Came away unimpressed with Trevor Zegras’ interest in the game and compete level.
He has a set of tools, but watching him play you get the impression he is pretty fond of himself.
Made for the shootout moment BUT…… https://t.co/UMzKWs0BMf
lol I love how there’s a bunch of commentary about how Clarke isn’t Zegras after he tried the Michigan. We know. That’s one of his best qualities.
— The Bannermen (@TheBannermenPod) November 29, 2024
If the Ducks’ perception aligns with the public perception, they may indeed be ready to move on from the player. If you combine that perception with the regression in Zegras’ point production over the last couple of years, his trade value is surely at its all-time low.
The Flames sold one of their high draft picks for pennies on the dollar a few years ago. Sam Bennett—drafted fourth overall in 2014—fetched a second-round pick and prospect Emil Heineman. Bennett had not shown quite the skill that Zegras has, so I’d expect Zegras would be more expensive.
I don’t anticipate it costing Conroy an arm and a leg. Maybe the New Jersey Devils’ first-rounder this year—currently 28th—and a reclamation project like Jakob Pelletier? Pelletier may have been a first-round pick in 2019, but he did also pass through waivers earlier this season. He’s another player whose value is at an all-time low.
If the Flames are interested in Zegras, it’s because of his potential to be an elite centre in the NHL. Buying low is a smart bet and one the Flames absolutely should make.
Do you agree that the Flames should acquire Zegras? Let us know!
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