Getty The New York Rangers want to sign an Anaheim Ducks forward.
The New York Rangers won more games than any other franchise in the 2024 regular season but failed when it mattered the most, falling short of the Stanley Cup Final.
According to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, they might have someone in mind to fix their woes in an Anaheim Ducks forward. Many teams around the league are highly interested in the winger, creating a high demand for him.
“The Anaheim Ducks have generated a lot of interest in forward Trevor Zegras, and trade talks are expected to escalate this week in the days leading up to Friday’s NHL Draft in Las Vegas,” Pagnotta wrote on June 24.
Pagnotta listed eight teams who have expressed “serious interest” in trading for Zegras, including the Rangers. The other seven are the Chicago Blackhawks, Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers, Ottawa Senators, Nashville Predators, Calgary Flames, and Buffalo Sabres. Pagnotta, however, believes “other clubs have also been in the mix.”
The Flyers drafted Zegras with the No. 9 pick in the 2019 draft but he never played for the franchise. Philadelphia traded him to Anaheim before he made his NHL debut. Zegras has played 211 games and scored 54 goals and 154 points.
Zegras has two seasons remaining on his contract, which carries a cap hit of $5.75 million annually. He will reach restricted free agency at the end of the 2025-26 season.
What Would It Take to Trade for Trevor Zegras?
According to Pagnotta, the price to trade for and acquire Zegras varies depending on the team inquiring and remains unknown.
“Regarding the specific asking price, it varies team by team,” Pagnotta wrote. “So far, nobody will elaborate on the specific demands aside from emphasizing it’s a ‘big price.'”
That’s a rather vague definition, but it’s fair to assume it would take a sizable package to trade for Zegras. That said, his recent struggles could lower the price.
Zegras had strong back-to-back seasons to get his career going once he became a full-time NHL player in 2022 (his second year in the league). He scored 61 points that season and followed that up with a 65-point campaign in 2023. He appeared in 75 and 81 games respectively in those two years.
The Ducks youngster is coming off a paltry campaign playing just 31 games and scoring a meager 15 points. As Pagnotta notes in his report, the value of Zegras has dropped considerably of late because of his subpar 2023-24 season.
“Those factors have impacted his perceived market value, but (Ducks GM Pat) Verbeek remains steadfast on a substantial return,” Pagnotta reported. “The consensus among teams is that Verbeek is playing hardball. He is not looking to give a key asset away for a package centered around draft picks and prospects.”
Potential New York Rangers’ Available Assets
The Rangers’ current core is smacked right in the middle of a strong contending window. Consequently, it’s going to be hard for New York to put together a trade package built around “draft picks and prospects” that is enticing enough for Anaheim.
New York, however, has a couple of promising young players already getting NHL reps. Those are former No. 1 and No. 2 picks Alexis Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko, respectively.
#NYR have agreed to terms with Kaapo Kakko. Details: t.co/ArI3j7kwBC
Lafreniere is set to enter the final season of a two-year, $4.6 million deal in the 2024-25 campaign. He is eligible to sign an extension on July 1, 2024. He and the Rangers, however, are not expected to engage in contract talks this summer according to USA Today’s Vince Mercogliano.
“All indications are that the two sides will hold off on negotiations until next summer, according to a person with knowledge of the situation,” Mercogliano wrote on June 24.
If the Rangers fear Lafreniere will eventually leave the team they might want to include him in a trade to get something in return, potentially Zegras.
Lafreniere has scored 148 points (75 goals, 73 assists) through 298 NHL games.
As for Kakko, he recently signed a one-year extension worth $2.4 million. The franchise announced the deal on June 13 in a rather unexpected development.
This agreement matches Kakko’s qualifying offer. Barring an offseason trade, Kakko will stay with the Rangers next season. The Rangers could also try to move him before it’s too late if no signs are pointing toward an extension.
Kakko has amassed 117 points (57 goals, 60 assists) over 300 career NHL games.
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