Zegras hopeful to ink new deal with Ducks soon

Anaheim Ducks restricted free agent Trevor Zegras is looking to sign a new contract soon as he ramps up for the start of training camp next month.

Zegras became eligible for a new deal after his entry-level contract expired this summer. He's currently training on the east coast of the U.S. and said he's eager to return to Orange County for his fourth NHL campaign.

"Hopefully, we get something done soon," Zegras said, according to NHL.com's Dan Rosen. "I do miss California and my teammates, so it would be nice to get back there."

He added: "It's kind of out of my control. Obviously, this is why you have people in place to handle this type of stuff. In the summertime, I just have to keep doing my thing, what I've always done, and that stuff should take care of itself."

The Ducks completed a key piece of offseason business earlier this week by signing Troy Terry to a seven-year, $49-million contract. Terry is now Anaheim's highest-paid player, but the Ducks still have over $20 million in cap space to accommodate a new deal for Zegras and RFA defenseman Jamie Drysdale.

Zegras led Anaheim with 65 points in 82 games last season. The 22-year-old has quickly become one of the league's most popular players due to an otherworldly skill set that often leads to highlight-reel plays.

Despite Zegras' exploits, the Ducks owned the league's worst record at 23-47-12. The difficult campaign led to Anaheim hiring Greg Cronin as head coach, with whom Zegras is excited to expand his repertoire alongside.

"He thinks that defensive side can be a lot better, which I agree with," Zegras said. "And he thinks it's more of just learning how to play defense. You get to a certain level, the effort is always going to be there, but it's the little stuff that he can teach me in the (defensive) zone that could potentially change the way I play 200 feet. It's exciting. He's got a clear passion for it. I'm ready to go."

The Ducks drafted Zegras ninth overall in 2019.