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When the Ducks selected Trevor Zegras 9th overall in the 2019 NHL Draft, many were curious as to how the newest Duckling would fit into the team’s future plans.

The Ducks are very much a team in flux as they move away from higher-priced veterans in favor of younger, less expensive talent, and it remains to be seen just how good some of the younger players actually are.

With a sub-.500 record going into the All-Star break, they’re obviously not great. Luckily, there can be some optimism in Anaheim, as Zegras had an impressive run in the World Juniors playing for Team USA, though the team suffered a disappointing loss to Team Finland in the Quarterfinal round.

Disappointment aside, this was a great tournament for Zegras – and the Ducks brass. While Zegras started the tournament as a reserve forward, by the end he was playing second-line minutes and led the entire field in assists with nine total. That’s including players on teams who played many more games – a great sign for sure.

Zegras seemed incredibly comfortable playing the role of facilitator while his more trigger-happy teammates took shots, en route to posting a +6 plus-minus by the end of the tournament. Twitter seemed to love Zegras’ dishes, too.

Suffice to say, Pete Blackburn really likes Trevor Zegras.

Zegras’ success, while limited and against Junior-level talent, is a reassuring sign that the Ducks have at least one truly skilled young player in their midst. As mainstays like Ryan Getzlaf and Jakob Silfverberg get another year older, at least a player like Trevor Zegras waits in the wings to one day be slotted into their positions on the top lines.

Who knows?
Maybe one day we’ll be raising a Zegras banner into the rafters. Even if not, at least we’ll always have his crazy 2020 Juniors highlights.
Featured Image: NHL.com
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