Anaheim Ducks forward Trevor Zegras returning Tuesday after 31-game absence

The Ducks originally selected Zegras with the No. 9 overall pick in the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft. The 6′ center quickly made a name for himself in Anaheim (and around the league) as a highly skilled player with the puck, regularly scooping the puck up onto his stick to shoot or pass.

Zegras finished second in the race for the Calder Memorial Trophy as the league’s top rookie after scoring 23 goals and 61 points in 75 games in the 2021–22 season. He was subsequently named a cover athlete for NHL 23 alongside Sarah Nurse and collected 23 goals and 65 points in 82 games in 2022–23.

The Ducks struggled to come to terms with Zegras on a contract extension for much of the 2023 offseason, with the two sides only agreeing to a three-year, $5.75 million AAV bridge deal on October 2, shortly before the 2023–24 season began.

As is often the case for players after long contract disputes, Zegras struggled out of the gate with the Ducks. He suffered a different lower-body injury earlier in the season, came back for eight games, and then went down again after breaking his ankle in a game against the Nashville Predators on January 9.

Through 200 career games over parts of four seasons with the Ducks, Zegras has collected 53 goals and 146 points. He has yet to make his playoff debut — and won’t this year, with the Ducks currently sitting in 30th place in the league.