What Insider Info Does Matty Beniers Have on Trevor Zegras?
What Does Matty Beniers Know About Trevor Zegras That Others Don't?
To paraphrase an old joke: put three hockey enthusiasts in a room, and they'll have four opinions about Trevor Zegras.
In a moment, we'll delve into the Seattle Kraken connection to Zegras, the flashy Anaheim Ducks center who has been linked by trade speculation to every team except Manchester United.
Unfamiliar with Anaheim's 1st round pick in 2019? Here are some opinions from around the league:
Must read on KrakenLatest
"He's not winning the Selke (best defensive forward) anytime soon." - Ryan Kennedy, THN editor-in-chief
"Some players' offensive output can outweigh deficiencies. Zegras clears that bar." - Max Bultman, The Athletic
"Poll every head coach; not many are going to want Trevor Zegras in their lineup at crunch time in a big game." - Jacob Stoller, THN
"That may be a bit of a surprise for a guy who was a cover athlete on NHL 23 and has scored some incredible highlight reel goals." - Frank Seravalli, Daily Faceoff
"He went for a cheap shot." -
Matt Benning, Sharks defenseman, on a spear by Zegras
"Zegras has a big personality to go with a tremendous skill set. His swagger can be construed as cockiness." - Curtis Pashelka, San Jose Mercury-News
"He may be one of the most misunderstood players in our league." - Dallas Eakins, former Ducks coach
And there's more. In 2023, Zegras held out during a contract dispute and "changed his Instagram profile picture from him in a Ducks jersey to an image of himself putting on a blindfold mask." (Hockey Feed)
As widely reported, Zegras and Kraken center Matty Beniers became close as teammates on the U.S. National Under-18 Team. They were also teammates on the Team USA squad that won gold at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championships.
Despite their contrasting personalities�Beniers' self-effacing nature versus Zegras' larger-than-life demeanor�they appear to be close friends.
At a Bauer promotional event, Beniers wore a white hat and Zegras a black one, perhaps symbolizing their yin-yang dynamic. In a light-hearted "Quarantine" video preparing for the World Juniors, the camaraderie between them is evident. They even connected on a couple of long completions in the video below, showcasing their synergy.
Separating Zegras Wheat from Chaff
He's talented. He's misunderstood. He's brash. He doesn't play defense. But his offense is remarkable.
Could another team harness Zegras' greatness while addressing his shortcomings? Here are three more perspectives:
Anaheim Ducks Coach Greg Cronin:
"He's a very sociable, likeable kid, bounces around. He's like a butterfly, talks to everyone in the locker room. When you draw that attention, you need to convert it into some leadership. But if you sabotage that by foolish penalties or turning pucks over multiple times, you have to own up to that too. There's an opportunity for those people to create an image and a standard for the team and if they don't do it, they're missing out. It's up to him to actually execute that." (Markerzone)
The Athletic's Bultman: "He's young, a proven playmaker, signed for two more seasons, and there probably won't be a better buy-low opportunity on him than right now."
THN's Kennedy: "There's teams that need him, as long as you get the proper buy-in, but it might be a disaster."
Whether it's his friendship with Beniers or the mixed reviews from around the league, Trevor Zegras remains a fascinating and polarizing figure in the hockey world.
Previously on KrakenLatest
| POLL |
26 JUIN | 15 ANSWERS What Insider Info Does Matty Beniers Have on Trevor Zegras? Do you think Trevor Zegras' offensive skills outweigh his defensive shortcomings? |
| Yes | 9 | 60 % |
| No | 6 | 40 % |
| LIST OF POLLS |
Latest 10 stories
