Ducks F Trevor Zegras leaves game abruptly, ruled out with lower-body injury

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) Just when Trevor Zegras appeared to be turning the corner on becoming a true two-way NHL player, the Anaheim forward went down with another injury.

The Ducks can only hope his latest setback isn’t serious enough to interrupt Zegras’ promising start to the season.

Zegras left Anaheim’s 4-1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights with a lower-body injury Wednesday night, apparently unable to put weight on his injured leg when he left the ice early in the second period.

Coach Greg Cronin had no postgame update on Zegras, who will undergo further tests Thursday.

“It’s disappointing,” Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler said. “Seeing any of your guys go down is hard as a teammate. We’re a family in here, so we’re all thinking about each other. ‘Z’ is a big part of the team. Hoping that he’s OK, but any time you see somebody go down, your heart goes out to him.”

The cause of Zegras’ injury wasn’t clear, but it wasn’t a collision. After taking a faceoff in Anaheim’s defensive zone, he spun and fell awkwardly when he and William Karlsson briefly got their stick blades and skates tangled. Zegras immediately waved to Anaheim’s bench, and he needed help to get off the ice.

The 23-year-old Zegras is best known for his puck-handling creativity and for scoring “Michigan” lacrosse-style goals, but this could be his third major injury in just over a year. He was limited to 31 games last season by two injuries, including a broken ankle that required surgery.

“Hopefully long-term, he’ll be OK,” said Fowler, who returned Wednesday from his own 11-game injury absence.

Zegras had played in all 23 games for Anaheim this season, recording four goals and six assists. More importantly, he had shown significant progress in embracing his defensive responsibilities and in his overall offensive approach after struggling for years to play a consistent two-way game between his bursts of offensive creativity.

Zegras was the ninth overall pick in the 2019 draft. He has 59 goals in 235 games over the past five seasons in Anaheim.

Zegras’ departure left Anaheim without two of its most talented young offensive players due to injury.

Leo Carlsson, the Ducks’ teenage playmaker, also missed his fourth consecutive game with a lower-body injury. Earlier Wednesday, Carlsson was the youngest player named to Sweden’s team for the 4 Nations Face-Off in February.

“When you lose any player, it disrupts the flow,” Cronin said. “We’re not giving any different directions whether ‘Z’ is in or out, or whether Leo is in or out. (We) try to play the same way. The simplification is really what we’re trying to follow.”

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