NHL Rumors: Anaheim Ducks and Washington Capitals

Trevor Zegras continues to be an interesting trade target

Travis Yost of TSN: Yost writes Trevor Zegras was the darling of the NHL after being selected ninth overall in the 2019 NHL Draft. He finished second to Moritz Seider in Calder Trophy voting.

Zegras’s trajectory would put him on a superstar path with a 61-point rookie campaign. Now, his offensive output has declined. His recent negotiations with GM Pat Verbeek were a bit tedious. He will remain a restricted free agent at the end of his current bridge deal.

However, his production drop-off has not stopped teams from calling Anaheim about his availability. Everyone knows how talented Zegras is offensively. His defensive numbers are not great, but that is not why he was drafted.

But if the negotiations in the summer, which led to his holdout of training camp, are any indication and the Ducks don’t think he will be that blue chip player they drafted, then the price tag on a return for Zegras could help the Ducks change the direction of their rebuild real quick.

The Washington Capitals have several players teams want at the deadline

Sammi Silber of the Hockey News: As Silber writes, the Washington Capitals are still hunting for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Washington continues to pick up and wins and points.

Names like Nic Dowd and Max Pacioretty continue to swirl around the NHL, and teams are interested in them. Neither player is considering the trade deadline as the Capitals continue to play well. But both players know it is a business.

Another player that is out there for the Capitals is Anthony Mantha, who scored his 17th goal of the season. So, the Capitals have players that have value.

Then there is Joel Edmundson. Edmundson’s name is swirling around the NHL as well. Teams need a depth defenceman, and Edmundson could be that player for the right player.

Remember, the Capitals started their retool on the fly this time last year. Again, it all comes down to where they are in the standings and the value teams offer for their players.