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The Montreal Canadiens are nearing the end of their rebuild and one trade pitch has them acquiring star forward Trevor Zegras from the Anaheim Ducks.
The website PuckPedia has a new tool called PuckGM that lets users create their own trades and one user proposed a deal that would see the Ducks deal Zegras.
Canadiens get:
Ducks get:
- Logan Mailloux
- 2025 first-round pick
- 2025 second-round pick
At first glance, it is a hefty price for the Canadiens to pay for Zegras. However, he is just 23 and entering the second year of his three-year $17.25 million deal. Zegras is also close friends with Canadiens star forward Cole Caufield, so the two would have an immediate connection.
Despite being a former first-round pick and just 23, Zegras has been mentioned as a postnatal trade target as he could use a change of scenery. Last season, Zegras recorded just 6 goals and 9 assists for 15 points in 31 games.
As for the return, Montreal would deal their first and second-round picks in 2025 as well as prospect Mailloux. Mailloux is a defenseman who was drafted in the first round of the 2021 NHL draft but Montreal has a solid defensive unit and his pathway to the NHL is blocked which is why he may be expendable.
Zegras on Trade Block
Zegras’ name has been involved in the trade discussions this offseason as the former first-round pick could use a change of scenery.
NHL insider David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period revealed that several NHL teams are interested in Zegras, including the Canadiens.
“Ducks GM Pat Verbeek has set a very high price for Zegras, and several teams have continued to communicate their interest in the 23-year-old. At least eight teams have expressed serious interest in Zegras, including the Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers, Ottawa Senators, Nashville Predators, Calgary Flames and Buffalo Sabres, and I believe other clubs have also been in the mix,” Pagnotta wrote in his article.
Pagnotta says Zegras and his camp are open to a change of scenery. However, he is open to staying with Anaheim and helping out the Ducks rebuild.
Canadiens Quiet in Free Agency
Montreal was quiet in the offseason as the Canadiens focused on re-signing their own players.
The Canadiens didn’t sign a single new player on July 1 as general manager Kent Hughes said he didn’t want to force anything and make a mistake for the future.
“We didn’t go into today thinking we had to accomplish things we wanted to. I think what happens in free agency, and it’s natural, is if you go in overly committed to coming out with something, then sometimes you come out with something that you look back on and wish you didn’t,” Hughes said.
“So, we wanted to enter the day with discipline and say, if we can do this under these parameters, we’ll do it. Otherwise, we’re fine to continue to wait and see if something materializes, either via free agency later or via trade first,” Hughes added.
Instead, Montreal ended up re-signing Juraj Slafkovsky, Kaiden Guhle, Arber Xhekaj, and Justin Barron who are all key members of their core.
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Trade Pitch Has Canadiens Acquiring Star $17.25 Million Forward