NHL Rumors: Insider provides major update on Trevor Zegras' RFA situation with Ducks 

As NHL training camps roll on, the Anaheim Ducks and their talented young forward Trevor Zegras have yet to reach an agreement on a new contract. Zegras, a key player in the Ducks' rebuild, is currently a restricted free agent (RFA), and negotiations seem to have hit a roadblock.

According to BR Open Ice, this is what Elliotte Friedman had to say on Ducks RFA negotiations,

"Things can change with one phone call, but it didn't sound optimistic."

Zegras, 22, has completed his entry-level contract, which carried an annual salary-cap hit of $925,000. He also had performance bonuses that could have taken his earnings up to $1.775 million per season.

The young forward was a finalist for the Calder Memorial Trophy in the 2021-22 season and is coming off two consecutive seasons with over 60 points, leading the Ducks with 65 points in the previous campaign.

The expectation was that Zegras, being the Ducks' most promising young talent, would have a new contract in place before the start of training camp. However, as per Elliotte Friedman's recent comments in his "32 Thoughts" column on Sportsnet, there has been little progress in negotiations.

According to Friedman, Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reported that the Ducks had offered Zegras between $3 million and $4 million annually.

Trevor Zegras is the best in his draft class

Also, Zegras significantly outperformed other notable Calder Trophy candidates from his draft class, such as Matt Boldy of the Minnesota Wild and Cole Caufield of the Montreal Canadiens. Boldy recently signed a seven-year contract with an average annual value of $7 million, while Caufield carries a cap hit of $7.85 million on an eight-year deal.

Comparable centers like Nick Suzuki (eight years, $7.875 million per year) and Dylan Cozens (seven years, $7.1 million per year) have also signed lucrative contracts.

Friedman speculates that there may have been discussions about a three-year contract between the Ducks and Zegras. If true, he believes that the Ducks would need to offer a higher average annual value (AAV) to secure Zegras's signature.

Adding to the intrigue, Lavoie reported that the Buffalo Sabres are closely monitoring Zegras's situation. However, as of now, there's no indication that the Ducks are actively looking to trade their talented young center.

While negotiations continue, Zegras remains an important piece of the Ducks' future, and both parties will be eager to find common ground and ensure his continued development within the organization.

The RFA stalemate highlights the challenges of aligning a player's potential with the team's financial constraints in the ever-evolving landscape of the NHL.