The high of that moment wasn’t sustained. Taking it in stride with his head up, Zegras instantly shifted his focus and snapped a wrist shot over the right shoulder of Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck. Henrique spotted the burst from his young center and put the puck on his tape. Seconds after Kyle Connor gave Winnipeg a 2-1 lead in the third period Thursday night, Zegras got the puck in Anaheim’s end of the ice, gave it to Adam Henrique and then shifted into another gear to leave the Jets’ Saku Mäenalanen behind as he zoomed in on an open lane to the net. The key is how they’ll continue to develop in Year 2 now that they’re on the track that takes them from new household names to sitting comfortably among the NHL’s best players. And as they build out their second seasons, there have moments in which they have shined brightly and moments that they would just as easily like to forget about.

What is undeniable is the importance both have on clubs that are in the thick of a rebuilding period (Anaheim) or trying to emerge from it (Detroit). (I voted for Seider as a very deserving winner and Zegras would have been my choice if not for how Seider performed at a demanding position that often takes years to master.) We’ll leave that debate up to you folks in the comments below. They’ll be at the forefront of their franchises for years to come. Seider and Zegras didn’t need much time to start leaving a large thumbprint on their NHL brethren. The two were selected just three picks apart within the top 10 of a 2019 draft that’s begun to usher into the league a new wave of stars and impact players.

Zegras often dazzled, becoming Anaheim’s top assist man and second-leading scorer while regularly producing highlight-reel plays.Īnd it’s fun to think about who the better player is now. Seider excelled in becoming the Red Wings’ top defenseman at age 20, leading all first-year blueliners in scoring while also playing in all situations and handling the toughest defensive assignments. The two were deserving finalists as they placed 1-2 on many PHWA ballots.

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