Trevor Zegras
Center/wing
Shoots: Left
Height: 6’0.25”
Weight: 173
Amateur team: USNTDP
Date of birth: March 20, 2001
Place of birth: Bedford, NY, USA
NHL Central Scouting final ranking: 6th (North American skaters)
NHL comparable: Teuvo Teravainen
Zegras is part of a pack of terrific 2019 draft-eligible forwards from the U.S. National Team Development Program. But unlike the well-rounded Alex Turcotte or pure scorer Cole Caufield, Zegras’ forte’, a bit more like Jack Hughes, is playmaking and slowing the game down to make almost unbelievable passing plays in space. He is an effortless skater with good 360 degree mobility, and elite stickhandling ability. Zegras also demonstrates defensive responsibility and will defend over 200 feet of ice. Another hallmark of Zegras’ game is aggression, peskiness, and willingness to stand up for teammates, though he is not really a physical force even in amateur.
Like a lot of young, skilled forwards, Zegras will need to add weight and strength for the pro game—where the opportunities to make slick, crafty plays are reduced by the size and awareness of the world’s best players.
Projection
We used Teravainen as a comparable for Zegras (although Zegras’ ceiling may be higher) for a few obvious reasons: his size at draft age, talents and playing style, and the fact that he can arguably play all three forward positions. That last part is also a question: what is Zegras’ ultimate NHL position, center or wing? How a team views him ultimately, may impact where exactly he goes in the draft. If you see him as a center, will he have the overall physical package/willingness to be a first line center? But, like Patrick Kane, with Zegras’ exceptional talent, it may not matter as much exactly where he lines up for the faceoff.
A criticism leveled at Zegras has been, that although he is almost equally as crafty shooting the puck as he is passing it, he has a tendency to overpass and not take shots he should. A la Nick Schmaltz.
Through growth and maturation, Teravainen has become a good NHL player—but he had to work at it. So will Zegras, to achieve his top potential. But you can’t coach rare vision and hands—both of which he has in abundance. Also, Zegras’ passion for the game suggests he will work to realize all of his exceptional talent—which will continue this fall at Boston University.
Implications for the Blackhawks
Broken record time: the Blackhawks have enough organizational holes at this point that Zegras could likely fill a meaningful role for the team in 2 seasons. The Hawks will likely never simply “replace” Patrick Kane. But, if you wanted a player to step in and approximate Kane at some point as an elite playmaker and power play presence on the half-board, he could ultimately be that guy, which is probably a more realistic development track for the young forward than replacing Jonathan Toews as a three-zone, first line center.
While projected to go in the top 10, most mock drafts have Zegras in the 5-10 range, where he might make more sense for Chicago, were they to trade down. However, like Caufield and Vasili Podkolzin, opinions on Zegras’ ultimate draft slot vary, and he could crack the top 5.
Highlights