Ducks’ Trevor Zegras Set To Return From Two-Month Absence
The Anaheim Ducks are getting a star talent back on Tuesday, with top forward Trevor Zegras expected to return from a broken ankle that’s held him out of the team’s last 31 games (Twitter link). It was his second extended absence of the season, also missing 20 games across November and December with a separate lower-body injury.
None of this season has gone according to plan for the 23-year-old Zegras, who didn’t sign a contract for the season until 12 days before Anaheim’s season debut. Contract negotiations held him out of the team’s training camp and his rust clearly showed, with Zegras scoring just one goal and one assist in 12 games before his first injury. He’s since totaled 20 games on the year, managing four goals and seven points. It’s a disappointing step down for the former top-10 draft pick, who has broken the 60-point mark in each of his first two full NHL seasons.
Zegras’ return marks a string of good health for Anaheim’s talented young players. 2023 second-overall pick Leo Carlsson has missed 27 games of his own this season, bearing through a MCL injury in his right knee and separate lower-body and upper-body injuries. Anaheim has played in just eight games with both Zegras and Carlsson in the lineup, setting a 5-3-0 record and outscoring opponents 26-to-22. They’ll relish in the chance to now have a full-strength offense once again, while focus will shift to whether Zegras can rediscover his high scoring.
Injury Updates: Zegras, Lindgren, Trouba, Hoffman, Desharnais
Ducks center Trevor Zegras is listed as a game-time decision for their game tomorrow against Tampa Bay, reports Derek Lee of The Sporting Tribune (Twitter link). The 23-year-old has missed more than two months with an ankle injury, his second extended absence after missing 20 games earlier in the year with a lower-body issue. In between, Zegras has struggled offensively, notching just four goals and seven assists in the 20 games he has been able to suit up for which fueled trade speculation leading into the trade deadline. With Mason McTavish and Leo Carlsson locked in down the middle, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Anaheim deploy Zegras on the wing when he’s cleared to return.
Other injury news from around the NHL:
- Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren has begun skating as he works his way back from a lower-body injury, relays Vince Z. Mercogliano of USA Today (Twitter link). He has been out for a week but is still a few weeks away from returning. Meanwhile, Mercogliano adds that blueliner Jacob Trouba (lower body) is likely closer to getting back into the lineup. That said, head coach Peter Laviolette suggested that the captain is likely another week or more away from being able to suit up. New York is in a tight battle with Carolina for the top spot in the Metropolitan but they’ll be waiting a little while longer to get one of their blueliners back.
- Sharks winger Mike Hoffman is nearing a return from his upper-body injury but won’t play tonight against Chicago, head coach David Quinn told reporters including Max Miller of The Hockey News. The 34-year-old has missed the last two weeks with the injury which he revealed is a concussion. It has been a tough year for Hoffman who has been limited to just 10 goals and 12 assists through 61 games so far, hardly the type of platform year he was hoping to have as he gets set to hit the open market in July.
- Oilers defenseman Vincent Desharnais will return to the lineup tonight against Toronto, notes Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman (Twitter link). The 27-year-old suffered a hand injury last weekend against Colorado. Desharnais is in his first season of full-time NHL duty and has nine points along with 96 blocks and 104 hits in 63 games so far this season.
West Notes: Zegras, Pietrangelo, Bjugstad, Smith
In an update today on Anaheim Ducks’ forward Trevor Zegras, Derek Lee of The Sporting Tribune reports that Zegras has been a full participant in two straight practices. Although there is still no set timetable for Zegras’ return, two full practices without restrictions indicate that he could be making his return to the lineup very soon.
It has been a season to forget for Zegras, both due to a broken ankle that has kept him out of the lineup for two months, and due to his play on the ice when he has been healthy. Only managing to suit up in 20 games for Anaheim this season, Zegras has scored four goals and seven points overall, while averaging 17:20 of ice time.
When Zegras eventually makes his return to the active roster, he will have much more responsibility upon his shoulders after the team parted with center Adam Henrique at the trade deadline. As Zegras was also mentioned in trade rumors throughout the deadline season, his play down the stretch may impact the offers that the Ducks receive for his services over the summer.
Other West notes:
- After missing the team’s last game due to an illness, the head coach of the Vegas Golden Knights, Bruce Cassidy, states that defenseman Alex Pietrangelo is feeling better but will be a game-time decision for their game tomorrow night against the Seattle Kraken (X Link). In Pietrangelo’s absence, the team lost an important game to the Tampa Bay Lightning, while still maintaining their grip on the last wild-card spot in the Western Conference.
- Moving to the Central Division, Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports reports that forward Nick Bjugstad will make his return to the lineup tonight for the Arizona Coyotes. This confirms that Bjugstad has shaken off his day-to-day injury designation suffered in the team’s most recent game against the New Jersey Devils. A key offensive contributor for the organization over the last couple of weeks, Bjugstad has scored seven goals and 10 points in his last 13 games for the Coyotes.
- Staying in Arizona, the team has announced they have returned forward Nathan Smith to their AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners. Smith was originally recalled via an emergency loan for insurance if Bjugstad could not play tonight. He will return to a Roadrunners team where he has scored nine goals and 27 points in 48 games this season.
Snaphots: Zegras, Lajoie, Timmins
In a report from Eric Stephens of The Athletic, Anaheim Ducks forward Trevor Zegras has been off crutches for about a week and can return to the ice in a week or two. If the predicted time of his return is accurate, the Ducks may have a potential trade chip available for the March 8th trade deadline.
Over the last few months, Zegras has been mentioned in some trade rumors, especially after Anaheim parted ways with Jamie Drysdale earlier in January. Still, at only 22 years old, Zegras represents a viable second-line center option for many contending teams, as well as a potential long-term fit with a handful of rebuilding teams.
Outside of this season, Zegras has typically maintained a clean bill of health, averaging over 75 games in his first two full-time seasons in the NHL. Over four years with the Ducks, Zegras has played in a total of 200 games in Anaheim, scoring a total of 53 goals and 146 points in the process.
Other notes:
- Per a team announcement, the Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled defenseman Maxime Lajoie from their AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies. Primarily used as a depth defenseman in Toronto’s system this year, Lajoie has only played in seven games for the Maple Leafs this season, tallying one assist in total. With the Marlies this season, Lajoie has been much more productive, scoring two goals and 17 points in 31 games played.
- Sticking in Toronto, TSN’s Mark Masters reported that Maple Leafs defenseman Conor Timmins is not quite cleared for contact yet, but can begin skating again. According to the report, Timmins is dealing with an internal injury, which has kept him from playing since January 24th. In the games that Timmins has been able to play in, he has scored one goal and six points from Toronto’s blue line.
Trevor Zegras, Pavel Mintyukov Out Long-Term
Ducks center Trevor Zegras and rookie defenseman Pavel Mintyukov both sustained long-term injuries Tuesday night against the Predators, the team announced. Zegras will undergo surgery on a fractured ankle and miss six to eight weeks, while Mintyukov will be sidelined for six weeks with a separated shoulder.
Zegras has struggled with his health and consistency this season as he already missed 20 straight games earlier this season and has scored just four goals and three assists in 20 games since his return. It’s been a tough few months for the 22-year-old as he had contentious contract negotiations with the Ducks in the summer and missed training camp. After he returned from injury, he struggled to get to his game in recent weeks and even found his name bandied about in trade rumors over the past few days before getting hurt.
Mintyukov is the Ducks’ 10th overall pick from 2022 and has been a pleasant surprise this year on their backend with two goals and 17 assists in 40 games. On top of being a solid offensive contributor, the 20-year-old has provided the Ducks with a physical presence as well as some solid work in the defensive zone. The Ducks figure to utilize newly acquired Gustav Lindstrom in Mintyukov’s absence.
Ducks’ general manager Pat Verbeek has been active on the trade market over the past week, and it will be interesting to see if he re-ignites the Zegras trade talks when he is healthy once again.
West Notes: Zegras, Barabanov, Milne
After moving out Jamie Drysdale, some are wondering if Ducks GM Pat Verbeek might have another big move up his sleeve. To that end, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports that Verbeek has discussed center Trevor Zegras with teams this season although it’s not known how far those discussions advanced. After a tough contract negotiation that eventually yielded a three-year bridge deal with a $5.75MM cap hit, things have not gone well for the 22-year-old. Injuries have limited him to 19 games heading into tonight’s action while he has struggled offensively with just four goals and three assists. Unfortunately for Zegras and Anaheim, he suffered a lower-body injury during tonight’s game against Nashville in the first period and did not return. Any extended absence could put the idea of a possible trade on hold fairly quickly.
More from the Western Conference:
- Back in the summer, Sharks GM Mike Grier acknowledged that there was some merit to the idea of extending pending unrestricted free agent winger Alexander Barabanov. However, Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News reports that there have yet to be discussions about a new contract for the 29-year-old. Like many San Jose players this season, 2023-24 has been a struggle for Barabanov who has just seven points in 20 games after coming off a career year that saw him collect 47 points in 68 games. He has a $2.5MM cap charge and if a new deal isn’t reached, he’ll be one of their more intriguing trade chips in the coming weeks.
- The Wild activated forward Michael Milne off season-opening IR and assigned him to AHL Iowa, Michael Russo of The Athletic reports (Twitter link). The 21-year-old is in his second professional season after picking up 13 points in 57 AHL contests last year and after missing the first few months of the season due to injury, is expected to play this weekend. Milne was a third-round pick in 2022 (89th overall) after a breakout season offensively in the WHL that saw him put up 81 points in 68 games.
Ducks Activate Trevor Zegras Off IR
After welcoming back two key young players in Mason McTavish and Jamie Drysdale on Thursday, the Ducks are getting another one back tonight. The team announced (Twitter link) that Trevor Zegras has been activated off injured reserve and will suit up against Seattle.
The 22-year-old took quite a while to re-sign with Anaheim over the offseason as it took until early October for the two sides to agree to terms on a three-year, $17.25MM contract. As a result, he was limited to just two preseason appearances.
The lack of training camp and exhibition action certainly seemed to take its toll in the early going this season as Zegras got off to a slow start offensively, notching just one goal and one assist in a dozen games. Meanwhile, new head coach Greg Cronin called his defensive struggles to attention. Things got worse soon after when he suffered a lower-body injury on November 7th and he has missed 20 games since then.
With Zegras’ activation, Anaheim now actually has 24 players on its active roster, one over the maximum. However, with the roster freeze rules in effect, the Ducks don’t have any skaters who are allowed to be sent down. As they’re cap-compliant, they’re now temporarily permitted to be over the roster limit.
Meanwhile, the Ducks are still awaiting word on how long Leo Carlsson will be out of the lineup after he left Thursday’s game with a lower-body injury. Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports (Twitter link) that the initial prognosis is promising and that it won’t be a season-ending injury.
Morning Notes: Määttä, Celebrini, Zegras
The Detroit Red Wings have announced that defenseman Olli Määttä will be unavailable for tonight’s game against the New Jersey Devils. Määttä is dealing with an upper-body injury that forced him out of last night’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers. There’s no word on a timetable for Määttä to return to the lineup but that could be provided in the coming days as Detroit gets set to head into the break. The Red Wings won’t be action again until Wednesday against the Minnesota Wild and an update should be provided before that time.
A two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Määttä has settled into a role with the Red Wings since signing with the team as a free agent back in July 2022. Määttä had bounced around to a few teams after being traded away by the Penguins but has since found a home in Detroit. In 27 games this season, the 29-year-old has a goal and six assists and is +6 while playing almost 15 minutes a night.
In other morning notes:
- The IIHF has announced that Team Canada forward Macklin Celebrini will not face any supplemental discipline for his boarding incident that occurred in Canada’s second pre-tournament game as they get prepared for this year’s World Junior tournament. Celebrini is projected to be the first overall selection in the 2024 NHL entry draft and would have been a huge loss for Canada had he been suspended. The 17-year-old had two assists in the first half of the game against Switzerland before he was given a five-minute major and a game misconduct for boarding. Canada plays their final pre-tournament game today against the United States and will begin the official tournament against Finland on Boxing Day.
- NHL.com is reporting that Anaheim Ducks forward Trevor Zegras could return to the Ducks lineup tonight as they take on the Seattle Kraken. Zegras reportedly practiced yesterday on the Ducks’ top line alongside Alex Killorn and Troy Terry. The 22-year-old has missed the Ducks’ last 20 games with an upper-body injury and would presumably slide into Leo Carlsson‘s spot as the top center as Carlsson is being evaluated for an injury as well. The native of Bedford, New York has had a rough start to his season as he started with just a goal and an assist in his first 12 games before going down to injury.
Injury Notes: Ducks, Lehkonen, Benning, Puljujarvi, Blue Jackets
The Anaheim Ducks are nearing the return of two of the most important players in their organization, Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale. Zegras, who is dealing with an undisclosed injury, has been out of the lineup since November 10th, while Drysdale, has been out with a lower-body injury since October 19th.
There is no firm date for the eventual return of either player, but Derek Lee of The Sporting Tribune reports that both players returned for practice this morning. In the same report, Lee also mentioned that breakout center, Mason McTavish, was still absent from practice after suffering an upper-body injury last week.
Anaheim could certainly use the reinforcements on both sides of the puck, as the team has recorded only one win in the last 11 games. Aside from just returning to the lineup, the Ducks will need both players to step up their game, as Zegras has only registered two points in 12 games, while Drysdale has only been in the lineup 10 times in the last 108 regular season games.
Other injury notes:
- Without much specificity into the severity of the injury, the Colorado Avalanche have been without top-six forward, Artturi Lehkonen, for the last month after he suffered a neck injury in the team’s game against the Seattle Kraken on November 9th. After joining the team for practice yesterday, the expectation is that Lehkonen will not return for another six to eight weeks, narrowing his return to January or February (X Link). Currently sitting at fourth in the Western Conference, Colorado will only have a few weeks to see how Lehkonen returns before potentially making a move at the trade deadline on March 9th.
- Missing nearly a month to an undisclosed injury in early November, beat writer Curtis Pashelka reports that San Jose Sharks defenseman Matt Benning is listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury. In arguably the weakest defensive core in the NHL, Benning is one of 11 defensemen to play at least one game for San Jose this season, averaging just under 18 and a half minutes of ice time per night, placing him sixth on the team amongst defensemen in that category.
- Hoping to make his return to the NHL soon, Chris Johnston of TSN is reporting that unrestricted free agent forward, Jesse Puljujarvi, has fully recovered from his hip surgery and has been cleared for full-contact training by doctors. Even when healthy, Puljujarvi’s market is going to be extremely limited, if one develops at all. The former fourth overall pick of the 2016 NHL Draft, Puljujarvi has scored 114 points in 334 career games, including a 36-point season for the Edmonton Oilers back in the 2021-22 season.
- Aaron Portzline of The Athletic is reporting that in the Columbus Blue Jackets game tomorrow against the Florida Panthers, forwards Cole Sillinger and Patrik Laine may be making their return to the lineup. Sillinger has missed the last five games due to an upper-body injury suffered on November 29th, while Laine has been out through the last three games with an illness.
West Notes: Ducks, Dionicio, Hall, Akey
It has been a tough year for Ducks center Trevor Zegras and defenseman Jamie Drysdale. Contract discussions rolled into training camp and both have struggled when healthy so far. Head coach Greg Cronin told reporters including Derek Lee of The Sporting Tribune (Twitter link) that while he doesn’t know the nature of their respective lower-body injuries, the recovery on each of them is quite tricky and the team will need to be patient while waiting for them to return. Zegras has missed a little more than a week so far and has struggled offensively with just two points in his first dozen games. Meanwhile, Drysdale last played more than a month ago and has suited up just twice so far after being limited to just eight games last season due to a torn labrum.
More from the Western Conference:
- Still with Anaheim, Ducks prospect Rodwin Dionicio is on the move in the OHL as his now-former team in Windsor announced that they traded the defenseman to Saginaw. The 19-year-old was a fifth-round pick back in June (129th overall) following an impressive 50-point year. Dionicio is off to an even better start so far this season, collecting 20 points in his first 16 games while recording an assist in his debut tonight. Anaheim has until June 1, 2025 to sign the blueliner to an entry-level deal.
- Blackhawks winger Taylor Hall is listed as a game-time decision for tomorrow’s game against Nashville, relays Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter link). It has been an injury-riddled first season in Chicago for the 32-year-old who has had shoulder trouble sideline him twice while this most recent undisclosed injury has cost him a little over a week so far. When he has been healthy, Hall has tallied two goals and two assists in eight games.
- Oilers prospect Beau Akey is set to undergo surgery and will miss the remainder of the season, reports Oilers Nation’s Robin Brownlee (Twitter link). The 18-year-old was a second-round selection in June (56th overall) and had a strong training camp, helping him land an entry-level contract before being returned to OHL Barrie. With the Colts this season, Akey has nine points in 14 games but after dislocating his shoulder, he won’t be getting any more in 2023-24.