Ducks GM Pat Verbeek Defends Trevor Zegras

Trevor Zegras has been the subject of widespread criticisms from the Ebenezer Scrooge's of hockey. Because he is way better than a lot of NHLers, some people think a) he's not a team player & b) he rightfully has a target on his back.

Ducks GM Pat Verbeek came to his player's defense in an interview with the Athletic.

"From my perspective, if you would have done that in my era, it's frowned upon. Right? Very frowned upon," Verbeek told The Athletic's Eric Stephens on Tuesday.

"So, I think there's still a little bit of that mentality out there. Now, we've gotten a lot of feedback. A lot of people (think) it's a positive thing. I think people light up when you watch (Connor) McDavid run through and totally undress players. ... Through the neutral zone with the speed and the skill. The ability to be able to handle the puck with speed and do that. For me, people love that. I love watching that."

"Now, when I watch Trevor, this is just another unreal skill set and creative way to score goals. I guess what I'm trying to do, I'm trying to really stick up for my player in the sense that there's people that really think this is hot-dogging, or it's not respecting the game. I don't feel that way anymore."

"He respects the game, and he respects the traditions of the game," said Verbeek.

He raises some interesting points here. Zegras is must-watch most nights, which is good for the NHL, which is good for hockey. Can't really argue there.

This all started when he scored his, what, 30th lacrosse goal of the season a couple of weeks ago against the Arizona Coyotes. There was a scuffle involving Jay Beagle & Troy Terry that caught national attention. This sparked a whole separate debate regarding skill/toughness.

The Ducks have gotten pushed around a lot since that event, & it is obvious they need toughness to supplement all that skill. So while Verbeek praises Zegras' play & creativity, he will likely be looking to insulate those players with bigger, heavier players.

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