Boston University freshman center Trevor Zegras has signed a three-year entry level contract with the Anaheim Ducks, the organization announced on Friday. Zegras, from Bedford, N.Y., was selected by the Ducks with the ninth-overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. A Mid Fairfield Jr. Rangers and Avon Old Farms product, Zegras was coming off a...
Boston University freshman center Trevor Zegras has signed a three-year entry level contract with the Anaheim Ducks, the organization announced on Friday.
Zegras, from Bedford, N.Y., was selected by the Ducks with the ninth-overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. A Mid Fairfield Jr. Rangers and Avon Old Farms product, Zegras was coming off a remarkable season with USA Hockey’s NTDP U-18 team.
As a freshman this past season at BU, Zegras recorded 11 goals and 25 assists in 33 games. When he was on the ice and had the puck, Zegras was as dangerous as any player in college hockey. His vision and puck skills allowed him to make numerous highlight reel passes that set up teammates for goals. Zegras also had a solid 2020 World Junior Championship, dishing out nine assists in five games for the Americans.
Zegras is yet another in a long line of players to leave BU early in recent years. Since 2016-17, Joel Farabee, Brady Tkachuk, Clayton Keller and Kieffer Bellows have also skipped out on the Terriers after just one season.
During that same time frame, Shane Bowers, Jordan Greenway, Charlie McAvoy and Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson have played two seasons before turning pro while Jake Oettinger, Dante Febbro, Chad Krys and Brandon Hickey departed after their junior seasons.
That trend clearly indicates Boston University’s coaching staff is doing a terrific job of recruiting high-end players. However, it isn’t exactly a recipe for sustained success when the team is constantly having to rebuild.
With that number of elite players coming through, doing a good job of recruiting walk-ons and partial scholarship guys becomes that much more important. The Terriers need to find more players like Patrick Curry, who captained the 2019-20 team and recently signed an AHL deal with the Detroit Red Wings organization.
The other major flight risk on Boston University, junior defenseman David Farrance, has yet to decide his future. The Hobey Baker Award finalist is expected to turn pro with the Nashville Predators, but that hasn’t been finalized.
Badini bolts Harvard
Junior center Jack Badini will forgo his senior season at Harvard, signing a two-year entry-level contract with the Anaheim Ducks. The Old Greenwich, Conn., native had six goals and eight assists in 31 games as a junior. Over his first two seasons, he had 18 goals and 19 assists.
