You might not believe that Trevor Zegras has been a pest versus the Vegas Golden Knights, considering his past injury problems. But scoring two goals and nine assists against the Golden Knights (14 games) will say otherwise.
Yeah, man. Hockey stats can be trippy like an acid trip.
Zegras has spent his time in the NHL being known for the "Michigan" and scoring highlight-reel goals. However, it appears his time with the Anaheim Ducks is over.
Trevor Zegras has been traded to the @NHLFlyers! pic.twitter.com/TZWqz7u65q
— NHL (@NHL) June 23, 2025
Out goes the former first-round pick and in comes Ryan Poehling, a 2025 second-round pick, and a 2026 fourth-round pick. People are already grilling the Ducks like they're at a fancy restaurant at the Cosmopolitan, saying the Flyers won this deal. After all, the 24-year-old has all the talent in the world to still become a hockey superstar.
However, this also has some implications for the Golden Knights. How does this affect Jack Eichel and company as they look to continue their stranglehold on the Pacific Division? Should fans be happy about seeing a former division rival head out of Disneyland?
What this means for the Vegas Golden Knights and Anaheim Ducks
First, the Anaheim Ducks now have $36,038,812 in available cap space to work with. They can make not one, but two, big moves during the free agency period, giving them an unprecedented advantage over the Golden Knights.
Of course, Vegas might be the "team to beat" regarding a certain "Core Fore" member. However, having all that cap space can do wonders for a team looking to finally become a Stanley Cup contender again. Now, you have a wave of young forward prospects, solid goaltending, and a potential big name grabbing those Mickey Mouse ears.
There's also a missed opportunity to grab a young redemption project for McCrimmon. The package was fairly reasonable, too. Trading an average Joe along with two draft picks would've been something in his wheelhouse, bringing on a young forward. But you missed out on doing that.
Still, there's that "Core Four" member that everyone's clamoring about. Your focus is on someone proven at the NHL level, scoring 102 points this past season. The focus is also on responding to your division rivals, ensuring that you still have that stranglehold on your division.
Plus, would Anaheim trade Zegras to a division rival, especially if they were wildly successful? Probably not, which is why he's off to root for Jalen Hurts and the Super Bowl champions, the Philadelphia Eagles.
Not getting Trevor Zegras is about staying the course
On Monday, the Pac-12 agreed to a media rights extension with CBS through 2030-31. The reputable network was carrying games for both Oregon State and Washington State this season, which will now see a bump into the next decade.
So what does this have to do with the Golden Knights? For one, Teresa Gould did what the soyboys, Larry Scott and George Kliavkoff, couldn't do. She stayed the course and got a deal she wanted for her respective conference. Now? It's off to add an eighth football member for her conference (Texas State, anyone?).
That's the exact mindset McCrimmon must have during this free agency period. Get your big-name free agent, grab lower-line depth pieces, and get the heck out of Dodge. It's that simple if you're in Las Vegas.
Of course, Golden Knights fans know that McCrimmon is much more competent and hardened than Scott or Kliavkoff. He's not interested in highlight-reel goals or letting big names slip past him. While Zegras might've been a big name at one point, there's no time for the former Ducks star to bring that flashiness to Las Vegas. Maybe Zegras can bring that to the new Pac-12 on the football field?