The Trevor Zegras trade brought the 2019 NHL draft class back into the spotlight earlier this week.
After the Philadelphia Flyers acquired center Zegras from the Anaheim Ducks on Monday, only three of the top 10 players from the 2019 NHL draft remain on the team that picked them.
Jack Hughes was selected first overall by the New Jersey Devils, while the Los Angeles Kings selected Alex Turcotte with the fifth pick. Following him was Detroit Red Wings selection Moritz Seider.
Aside from those three players, the next player in the draft who is still on their drafted team is left winger Matt Boldy, who was selected 12th by the Minnesota Wild.
From 2024 through 2017, the 2019 draft had the most players from the top 10 change teams, either from trades or offer sheets. Before the Zegras trade, center Dylan Cozens (Buffalo, seventh overall in 2019) was traded to the Ottawa Senators at the 2025 NHL trade deadline.
Right winger Kappo Kakko (NY Rangers, second overall in 2019) went to the Seattle Kraken on Dec. 18 in exchange for defenseman Will Borgen, as well as third- and sixth-round picks in the upcoming 2025 draft.
A couple of other players were dealt during the off-season. Vasily Podkolzin was traded on Aug. 18, 2024, to the Edmonton Oilers from the Vancouver Canucks, which selected him 10th overall.
The Oilers also lost D-man Philip Broberg to an offer sheet from the St. Louis Blues. The Swedish blueliner was selected eighth overall.
Kirby Dach, selected third overall by the Chicago Blackhawks, was part of a trade during the 2022 off-season. He was dealt to the Montreal Canadiens for the 13th overall pick, which became Frank Nazar. Chicago also received a 2022 third-rounder, which they used to select left winger Gavin Hayes.
Even the Colorado Avalanche traded Stanley Cup champion Bowen Byram (fourth overall in 2019). The Buffalo Sabres acquired him in exchange for center Casey Mittelstadt.
It doesn’t seem like Hughes or Seider will be moving from their respective teams anytime soon, as they are among the leaders in their draft class in games played and points.
Hughes leads the draft class with 351 points, 107 points more than runner-up Boldy. Despite being a defenseman, Seider is sixth in the class for points, just six shy of equalling Zegras’ total of 186.
Turcotte has spent most of his young career with the AHL’s Ontario Reign. However, he spent all of last season with the Kings for the first time, recording 25 points in 68 regular-season games and three playoff games.
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