The Anaheim Ducks recently signed restricted free agent Troy Terry to a seven-year contract worth $7 million annually. Terry also had arbitration rights and wanted $8 million per season, whereas Anaheim wanted to pay just $4.5 million. Anaheim budged on their ask by $2.5 million, and it will turn out to be a highly team-friendly deal if Terry continues to develop as he has.
Related: Troy Terry Signs a Seven-Year Contract With The Anaheim Ducks
Troy Terry’s teammate, Trevor Zegras, doesn’t have arbitration rights as he needs one additional pro-year to be eligible for arbitration rights. Zegras, like Terry, has recorded two consecutive 60-point seasons for the Anaheim Ducks. It is reasonable to think that Zegras may get more or roughly the same as Troy Terry on a contract.
Where Are Negotiations Between Zegras and Anaheim?
Trevor Zegras and Anaheim have been pretty consistent in talks; there is a sense that a deal could be done sooner rather than later. However, there have been multiple instances in NHL history where a deal is close but later falls apart because of one minor issue in the contract’s language.
Related: Trevor Zegras Stats
It is also worth noting that when Anaheim builds into a more competitive team in the distant future, Trevor Zegras will be an integral part of that building block. The Ducks recently drafted Leo Carlsson second overall in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, making Anaheim’s rebuild far quicker.
Anaheim knows the salary cap will rise significantly soon, and it is just a matter of whether it’s a consistent salary cap rising. Does a long-term extension for Trevor Zegras making a decent penny hurt the Ducks in the long run?
What Is The Expected Contract For Trevor Zegras?
I mentioned that Troy Terry got a 7×7 contract to open the article and set the expectations. With Zegras being a huge personality and likely to be considered the face of the Anaheim Ducks, I can easily see a couple of scenarios playing out.
Scenario A, Zegras Is Given A Bridge Contract
I’m not too fond of scenario A, and the Anaheim Ducks shouldn’t like it either. However, if things don’t progress, Anaheim might have to go down this route. I can’t speak for Ducks fans, but I’m pretty sure everybody would prefer to have their young stars locked up.
For example, Anaheim’s situation is comparable to the Buffalo Sabres. The Sabres locked up Tage Thompson and Dylan Cozens on seven-year contracts. Should Anaheim follow Buffalo’s lead, especially with the potential to utilize extra cap space to be competitive for multiple years?
Scenario A is what I’d expect to be two-to-three years and in the range of $4-5 million annually. Truthfully, this deal would be complicated for Anaheim to recover from, especially if Zegras explodes during the contract. However, if I’m Zegras, does a shorter-term deal hurt? Zegras can cash in if he continues to develop as he has in the past season.
Scenario B, Zegras Is Walked To UFA Status
Five years is what it would take to roll out the red carpet and give Trevor Zegras a chance to walk right to unrestricted free agency. This scenario isn’t ideal for fans or the team, but Trevor Zegras might not mind.
As I previously mentioned, this contract would be five years long and likely be around $6.5 million per season. If you are the Anaheim Ducks, do you take a lower AAV for a few years and risk having Zegras potentially leave as an unrestricted free agent?
Scenario C, Zegras Is Given A Long Term Extension
If you’re Anaheim, you want Zegras on a seven or eight-year contract, right? Is an eighth year on a Zegras extension potentially going to boost the annual average value of Trevor Zegras? Scenario C is what both Anaheim Ducks management and fans certainly are hoping for. Zegras’s teammate, Troy Terry, got $7 million annually for seven years; is it too far-fetched to say $7.75 million annually for seven years?
However, with two consecutive 60-point seasons and the potential to get even better, do you lock Zegras in now? Of the three scenarios, I think a long-term extension is most likely to happen. Jamie Drysdale is also due a new contract. Does Anaheim choose to lock in their future stars now and hope for the best?
Final Thoughts
Trevor Zegras and Troy Terry are just some of the pillars that Anaheim has to build a solid contending team in the future. Given Anaheim’s recent drafting and need to consistently get younger, does giving a long-term extension to Zegras help now?
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