The Anaheim Ducks have signed star forward Trevor Zegras to a three-year contract extension, according to an announcement from the team. According to ESPN’s Emily Kaplan, the average annual value for the deal will be $5.75 million.
Zegras was a restricted free agent prior to this new deal.
“We are very pleased to be able to get Trevor signed and back on the ice where he belongs,” Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek said in a statement. “We view Trevor as a critical and valued player and member of our organization and can’t wait to see the next chapter in his career.”
Zegras is fresh off of a season in which he led the Ducks in scoring with 65 points (23 goals and 42 assists). The 22-year-old has registered at 23 goals in two of his first three NHL seasons.
Zegras was selected by Anaheim with the No. 9 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, and the 2023-24 campaign will mark his fourth in the NHL. He was a finalist for the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie during the 2021-22 season.
As the 2023-24 campaign approaches, the Ducks were racing to get a deal done with Zegras. Kaplan also reported the Ducks initially didn’t want to sign Zegras to a long-term deal, and their initial offer was much lower than the $5.75 million the two sides finally settled on.
The star center is just the second player in team history to record 60 points in multiple seasons prior to the age of 23. Zegras has racked up 126 points (46 goals and 80 assists) over his past two seasons for a rebuilding Ducks team.
With Zegras officially signed, the team will shift their focus toward signing defenseman Jamie Drysdale, who is currently a restricted free agent, to a new deal.
