3 reasons the Blackhawks should pull off a blockbuster trade for Trevor Zegras

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The Chicago Blackhawks should have a simple rebuilding plan, which would involve making the right decisions in the NHL Draft and developing the young talent they already have in the system. But there is a third option that we don’t talk about enough, and it involves making a trade not for a big-name veteran but for a youngster who could be on the move.

Trevor Zegras is one of those players who constantly finds himself in the rumor mill. And thanks to the number of young talent in the Anaheim Ducks system at center, something Michael DeRosa of The Hockey Writers reminds us, there is a good chance Zegras could find himself on the move.

Even so, the Ducks are in the same situation as the Blackhawks, so there is a good chance they keep Zegras so he remains part of their core. It would be understandable, but for as long as a possibility exists that Anaheim may trade him, it doesn’t hurt to talk about a situation where the Blackhawks would hypothetically acquire the promising forward.

The Blackhawks would benefit from acquiring Trevor Zegras

While general manager Kyle Davidson has done a fine job so far to help rebuild the Blackhawks, the big club still needs a lot of help. Someone like Zegras could help catapult the rebuild, and he has the potential to stick around longer than many players currently on the free agent market. Even a few of those game-changers the Blackhawks could afford to bring in if they wanted.

But let’s dive into more detail about why trading for who may be one of the most sought-after players in the 2024 offseason would suit the Blackhawks and what would make them such an enticing team to add Zegras to their lineup for 2024-25 and beyond.

Zegras is still young enough to be part of a rebuilding Blackhawks team

Rebuilding teams aren’t always hot spots for ideal trade candidates, and such trades mainly happen because they have a year at most left on their respective contracts and it allows the non-competitive team to ‘absorb’ that player’s salary. Sometimes, the trade occurs because rebuilding teams wouldn’t mind shopping that very player at the deadline to get a better deal for the player, but Trevor Zegras is an outlier.

Zegras has another two years left on his current deal, and his $5.75 million AAV isn’t something the Blackhawks would need to absorb. Instead, he would have two seasons to show the front office and coaching staff he’s worth taking on for a large, long-term extension, something he would be eligible to negotiate starting in the 2025-26 season.

Zegras is also just 23, so for a young team like the Blackhawks, he’s more than worth taking a chance on. Plus, it’s not like Chicago can’t afford to bring him in, as the Ducks are looking to hoard draft picks and prospects.

Sure, it would cause Davidson to lose a first-round pick, plus at least one A-prospect, but we also know Zegras is a proven talent who is younger than core players like Philipp Kurashev. That said, Zegras is worth giving up some of the future in the interest of the present since he would also be part of the future.

Zegras automatically makes the Blackhawks deeper at center

Connor Bedard is a listed center, and Philipp Kurashev can also play the position, but each has also lined up at wing. Zegras has done the same during his time with the Anaheim Ducks. But should a trade materialize between the Ducks and Blackhawks regarding Zegras, his presence would still make Chicago deeper at the center position.

This would allow the team to line up one of the three players at center on the first line and another at center on the second. Since Zegras is on the same level as Bedard and Kurashev, adding him gives the Blackhawks yet another young, proven player.

Zegras could realistically spend the next decade or longer in Chicago, much in the same way as Bedard and Kurashev, potentially giving the Hawks a ‘Big Three’ at forward to build around. You can also chalk that up as another reason it’s worth giving up some high-end prospects and a high draft pick for a player of Zegras’ caliber.

There is little uncertainty surrounding him, as the Blackhawks know what they’re getting in the 23-year-old. You can’t always say the same for even the best prospects in the system, so this makes Zegras a “safe” pick in a manner of speaking.

Zegras is a proven points-producer

Trevor Zegras may have added just six goals to his stat line this season, but he only saw the ice in 31 contests. When he’s not battling injuries, Zegras will put up at least 20 goals, evidenced by the 23 he scored in 2021-22 and 2022-23, giving him 46 total and 126 points in 156 games.

Compare that to what we saw from the Blackhawks this past season, and even if you take the average of what Zegras scored over the last three years - 52 goals for an average of between 17 and 18, he still would have finished between third and fourth in Chicago. Adjust the six goals he scored this season across the 68 games Connor Bedard played, and you still get 13, or sixth on the team.

No, that’s not Zegras’ best number, but the 2023-24 season was also a year when he was barely able to gain a rhythm. But consider the final three weeks of the year when he played in 11 games and put up a pair of goals and eight points. You can argue he was finally starting to gain a rhythm back, especially when you factor in a five-game points streak to end the year in which he scored six total.

The Blackhawks need players who boast the potential to put up a serious number of points, and Zegras not only has the ability to score or contribute at will, he’s proven he can.

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(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)

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The Blackhawks would benefit from acquiring Trevor Zegras

Zegras is still young enough to be part of a rebuilding Blackhawks team

Zegras automatically makes the Blackhawks deeper at center

Zegras is a proven points-producer

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