Zegras set to return from knee surgery, jumpstart slumping Ducks

ANAHEIM, Calif. – As the Anaheim Ducks limp home from a season-long, 10-day, six-game road trip where they were shutout for the first three times this season, the Ducks hope to receive a much-needed creative jolt to their offensive attack as Trevor Zegras looks primed to return to the line-up on Tuesday.

Zegras would rejoin Anaheim after a 22-game absence and likely skate on a line with Leo Carlsson and Alex Killorn, as the Ducks welcome in the Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers to Honda Center on Tuesday night. The Panthers shut out Anaheim, 3-0, in Florida on Saturday to close a 1-4-1 road trip for the Ducks.

"I feel good," Zegras said. "I feel confident and strong and ready to go."

Zegras' return would be just two days short of the full six-week recovery time frame from surgery to repair a torn meniscus. The 23-year-old went down with the non-contact injury against Vegas on Dec. 4 and underwent surgery on Dec. 12.

“It was a breeze,” Zegras said of his recovery. “I felt almost back to normal after three, four weeks. Then just kind of about building back up to where I was and that led us to here, so feeling good.”

Zegras said the rehab process “felt longer than it was” but also shorter due to the two lower-body injuries suffered last season. Zegras missed 20 games with a lower-body injury and another 31 games due to a broken ankle.

While Zegras, like most of the Ducks roster, got off to a slow scoring start, it looked like he was rounding into form just before the injury. Zegras had scored three goals and four assists in seven games leading into that week.

“It was pretty frustrating, yeah,” Zegras said of the timing. “Like that middle part of the season when you kind of get your feet under you after maybe the first couple games, that feels pretty crucial. Definitely a little frustrating, but I feel like everything happens for a reason, and I can't really think about that now, right? 


“Being frustrated will kind of do you no good, so just keep moving forward.”

Zegras said he doesn’t feel like he’s starting over, and that will be crucial as the Ducks look to jumpstart their once again stagnant offense.

Zegras would return to the line-up at left wing with Carlsson at center and Killorn on the opposite flank. That line combination has played five games together, and when together, Ducks coach Greg Cronin thought they had chemistry and were driving the team.

“Obviously, Leo's got a ton of speed and plays with his head up,” Zegras said. “For me, playing the left side, try and get it to him with speed and, obviously, Killer is gonna go to the right spots, such a smart player. Just kind of about reading off those guys and trying to make a play.”

In those five games at five-on-five, that line earned 48% of the on-ice shot attempts, 45% of the on-ice scoring chances and generated 41.6% of the expected goals. They produced two actual goals with none allowed.

Zegras’ return might be most felt on the power play, where several Ducks players specifically noted his absence while the unit struggled over those 22 games without him.

Anaheim is scoreless in its last 10 power play opportunities with just two goals in its last 31 chances and three goals in its last 46 power plays. The Ducks were 5-for-58 (8.6%) without Zegras after going 11-for-70 (15.7%) with him.

“He's going to help the power play immensely,” Cronin said. “He comes up the ice in the breakouts, he reads the plays well, he puts the pucks in alleys where guys can skate into it and maintain speed, not have a hiccup where it's behind somebody. So it's gonna be a huge boost, I think, offensively.”

At practice on Monday, Zegras played the right flank on the second power play unit. Killorn was low, Carlsson was on the left flank and Cutter Gauthier was at the middle bumper position with Olen Zellweger at the point.

Anaheim is last in the league in goals scored and tied for last in power play conversion rate.

The Ducks (18-22-6, 42 points) kick off a three-game homestand tonight against the Panthers (27-17-3, 57 points) and will host Pittsburgh (20-21-8, 48 points) on Thursday and Nashville (16-22-7, 39 points) on Wednesday. Anaheim is nine points out of the last playoff spot in the Western Conference.