Zegras set for a hefty raise

ANAHEIM » The conversation with Trevor Zegras on Thursday morning started by touching briefly on the upcoming World Championships and then wandered elsewhere.

“It’s such an honor to wear that jersey,” he said of the 16-team event, scheduled for May 12-28.

However, that doesn’t mean Zegras is a lock to get on the plane to represent Team USA. Even though the Ducks’ season wraps up April 13, there are other matters taking precedence.

“I think it’s something you’ve got to think about,” he said. “Obviously with stuff up in the air for this summer it might be tough to do that but it’s definitely something I’d be very honored to do at some point. If it’s something I end up doing, I probably won’t know until a little bit later.”

Front and center is a contract extension. Zegras, the Ducks’ leading scorer, will be coming out of his three-year, entrylevel deal ($995,000 AAV), making him a restricted free agent and awaiting a big pay raise.

His agent, the Los Angeles-based Pat Brisson, said via text that he should be talking to Ducks GM Pat Verbeek “soon here about an extension.” Verbeek said on the first day of training camp (Sept. 23) that negotiations with Zegras and fellow pending RFAs Troy Terry and Jamie Drysdale would come after the season, trying to minimize distractions.

Still, it’s hard to completely push financial considerations to the side.

“I’d be lying to you if I said it didn’t come up every once in a while,” Zegras said.

Heading into Thursday’s game, Zegras had 58 points (22 goals, 36 assists) in 71 games. In all, he has 132 points in 170 career NHL games, and the only member of his 2019 draft class with more points is his close friend Jack Hughes of the Devils with 189 points in 233 NHL games.

Zegras turned 22 Monday and it was notable in that he has the secondmost points in franchise history before turning 22, trailing only Hall of Famer Paul Kariya.

ANAHEIM » Even for teams hanging around near the bottom of the NHL standings there are unexpected wins in the final month, or failing that, a bright spot surfacing to ease fan angst, at least temporarily.

Those moments have been harder and harder to find for the Ducks this week, practically requiring a search party. And it was not much different on Thursday in their 3-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets at Honda Center, their third straight loss and fifth in the last six games, as the Jets erased a 1-0 deficit with a first-period goal by forward Mason Appleton and a second-period goal by forward Kyle Connor.

The game-winner came at 10:47 of the third with forward Adam Lowry tipping in defenseman Brenden Dillion’s pass past Ducks goalie Lukas Dostal. Anaheim had tied it 2-2 on Frank Vatrano’s third-period, powerplay goal from just inside the blue line at 5:40. Dostal made 30 saves.

So about those recent rare bright spots:

• On Tuesday, it was forward Nikita Nesterenko making his NHL debut.

Up next: Blues at Ducks, Saturday, 7:30p.m., BSW

BOX SCORE

Winnipeg Ducks

First Period:

1, Anaheim, Fowler 10 (Jones, Terry), 11:41. 2, Winnipeg, Appleton 3 (DeMelo, Lowry), 12:26. Penalties: None.

3, Winnipeg, Connor 28 (Dubois, Niederreiter), 13:45. Penalties: Grant, ANA (Tripping), 1:52. Pionk, WPG (Interference), 18:37.

4, Anaheim, Vatrano 18 (Grant, Shattenkirk), 5:40 (pp). 5, Winnipeg, Lowry 11 (Dillon, Pionk), 10:47. Penalties: Capobianco, WPG (Slashing), 4:31. Strome, ANA (Misconduct), 14:52. Strome, ANA (Hooking), 14:52.

Winnipeg 16-9-8: 33. Anaheim 6-4-10: 20.

Second Period:

Third Period:

Shots on goal:

Power-play opportunities:

of 2. Anaheim 1 of 2.

Winnipeg, Hellebuyck 32-22-2 (20 shots-18 saves). Anaheim, Dostal 4-6-2 (32-29).

17,174. T: 2:28.

Goalies:

A: 1 1 1 0 1 — 3 1 — 2

Winnipeg 0

• On Thursday, it was defenseman Cam Fowler scoring his 10th goal of the season — a knuckler getting by Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck — and it was Fowler’s 43rd point, a career high. Fowler had 42 points in the 2021-22 season.

They happened to be bookends — the newest Duck (Nesterenko) and the longest-tenured player on the team (Fowler).

Nesterenko didn’t score in his debut on Tuesday against Calgary — but caught the attention of the coaching