Trevor Zegras nearly became a Montreal Canadien last summer, and the story behind the failed trade is pretty fascinating.
The Canadiens were close to landing the talented forward from the Anaheim Ducks during the 2024 NHL Draft, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.
What stopped the deal? It might’ve been pure luck – or fate. When Ivan Demidov unexpectedly fell to Montreal at the fifth pick, their plans changed quickly.
The Habs weren’t planning to give up their precious fifth overall pick for Zegras. But they were definitely interested in adding a young, skilled forward to their lineup.
It’s easy to see why Montreal wanted him. Zegras would’ve been a perfect fit with head coach Martin St. Louis, who’s known for letting creative players do their thing. Just look at what he did for Cole Caufield, who’s been on fire since St. Louis took over in 2021-22.
While Zegras isn’t quite the pure scorer Caufield is, his numbers are nothing to sneeze at:
- 67 goals and 185 points in 265 games
- Back-to-back 60-point seasons from 2021-2023
But there’s a catch. Staying healthy has been a real challenge for Zegras lately. He’s only played in 85 games since the start of 2023-24 – that’s just over half the games he could’ve played.
He’s also had trouble fitting into Ducks coach Greg Cronin’s defense-first system, which is why trade rumors keep popping up.
Here’s where it gets interesting: Zegras is really good friends with Caufield and Jack Hughes from their days playing together for Team USA. Imagine the chemistry if Montreal could reunite at least two of them.
The Canadiens might take another shot at getting Zegras this summer. He could be exactly what they need as a second-line center, taking some pressure off their overworked first line.
Right now, Alex Newhook holds that spot, but Zegras could be a serious upgrade – if he can stay healthy and find his groove in Montreal’s system.
