Free washer | Trevor Zegras in Montreal, realistic or not?

The Anaheim Ducks are looking to acquire a right-handed defenseman and winger. CEO Pat Verbeek made this clear during his end-of-season review and the organization even relayed the information on social networks.

“If you look at our formation, we have a lot of left-handers, we are looking for a right-hander,” Verbeek said during the end-of-season review.

Anaheim acquired one of the most gifted forwards of his generation this winter, Cutter Gauthier, fifth overall pick in 2022, 65 points, including 38 goals, in 41 games at Boston College, but gave the Flyers a young Regular right-handed defender, Jamie Drysdale, 22, sixth overall pick in 2020.

When healthy, Drysdale played an average of 21:35 per game before moving to the Flyers, second in this regard among the Ducks after Cam Fowler. Since his departure, and that of Ilya Lyubushkin, traded to the Maple Leafs at the end of February for a sixth-round pick, Anaheim has found itself with only one right-handed defenseman in its lineup, Radko Gudas.

There is also Tristan Luneau, the team’s second-round pick in 2022 selected at the start of the season, but it will be necessary to know if this young man of 20, whose second half of the season was spoiled by a knee infection , will be ready to make an impact in the NHL next season.

Verbeek will have a big bait to achieve his goals: Trevor Zegras. The arrival of Cutter Gauthier adds to a group of promising forwards with Leo Carlsson and Mason MacTavish, not to mention veterans Frank Vatrano, Troy Terry, Alex Killorn and Ryan Strome.

We can afford Anaheim to get rid of one. Zegras’ relationship with the Ducks is bittersweet. We refused to give this 23-year-old young man drafted ninth overall in 2019 a long-term contract last summer. He was moved to the wing at the start of the season and said he needed to improve his defensive game.

After seasons of 61 points in 75 games and 65 points in 81 games in his first two full years, Zegras got off to a rough start this year with just two points in twelve games before suffering the first of his two injuries. But he finished the year strong with eight points in as many games at the center of the second line with Frank Vatrano and Ryan Strome, in the absence of MacTavish, injured.

Zegras is obviously not perfect. Otherwise his name would not fuel transaction rumors. But if a team like the Canadian, for example, believes it has a core strong enough to put the young man on the right path –– and we seem to guess it – not to mention the presence behind the bench of a great teacher, Martin St- Louis, he will call Verbeek.

What would CH have to offer in return? David Reinbacher, the team’s fifth overall pick in 2023, will not move. At least not for Zegras, whose salary stands at 5.75 million annually for two more seasons. Justin Barron would not represent a central piece in such a transaction.

Logan Mailloux could help start a dialogue with the Ducks. At the age of 20 (he celebrated his 21st birthday on April 15), he has just had a very promising first season in the American League with 47 points, including 14 goals, in 72 games. Only two defensemen have done better, one 25 years old, the other 35 (although the gifted young man in the Kings organization, Brandt Clarke, had 46 in just 50 games before being recalled to Los Angeles).

The Canadian’s hope, drafted at 31^e rank, in the first round, in 2021, also has the physique for the job at 6 feet 3 inches and 220 pounds. He did well in his only game in the NHL, CH’s last against the Red Wings. Verbeek has never hidden it, he has always been fond of players with an imposing size.

Montreal would undoubtedly have to give up more to obtain an attacker of the caliber of Zegras, whose talent is beyond doubt despite a work ethic that needs improvement. “Our recruiters like Mailloux, but Zegras has proven that he belongs in the NHL, Mailloux not yet, he has only played one game,” confides a hockey man from a National League club surveyed for this purpose.

The Ducks, 30^e in the general classification, third in anticipation of the draft lottery, wish to progress next year. Verbeek evokes a defender of top 4 and a winger for one of his first two lines.

If a player like Mailloux, for example, piques his curiosity, he must be convinced that the young man is ready to make the jump to the NHL to sacrifice an asset like Zegras, closer to the National League at least than Luneau, a right-handed too.

The Canadian can afford the loss of a Mailloux. On the left, Mike Matheson is under contract for two more years, Lane Hutson shows great promise and we find a slew of defenders behind him, Xhekaj, Harris, Struble, not to mention Adam Engstrom. Reinbacher is the future on the right and Kaiden Guhle, in an ideal world, would be on the left, but is doing very well on the right too. Barron can complete the formation on the right behind Reinbacher and Guhle, in a long-term perspective, we remind you.

A top 6 made up of Suzuki, Slafkovsky, Caufield, Dach, Zegras and Newhook would not be stung. It remains to be seen what Verbeek has in mind. A call or text costs nothing, right?

A lamb sacrificed in San Jose

Coach David Quinn was fired by the Sharks on Wednesday. In two seasons in San Jose, he has accumulated a record of 41-98-25 with this rebuilding club, the worst performance in the National Hockey League since 2022. Quinn could hardly have done better in such a context. The rebuild brought the departures of Timo Meier, Erik Karlsson, Nick Bonino, and then Tomas Hertl at the trade deadline. Logan Couture has only played six games this season.

Since last year, GM Mike Grier has acquired players rejected by other teams to facilitate certain transactions or to comply with the salary floor. Quinn will have at least accomplished a significant part of the job without wanting to: the Sharks finished last in the general ranking with a 25% chance of getting their hands on Macklin Celebrini in the draft…