Why Sonny Milano Meshes So Well With Trevor Zegras

The Anaheim Ducks’ youth movement is upon us. 20-year-old Trevor Zegras is dropping jaws every other night, 19-year-old Jamie Drysdale is holding his own on the top pairing, 22-year-old Isac Lundestrom is emerging as a solid two-way forward and 24-year-old Troy Terry has seen his production explode in his fourth pro season. Even 22-year-old Max Comtois, who’s sitting on a single point in 13 games, has shown great promise in previous years.

Zegras and Drysdale’s performances aren’t exactly shocking. They’re high-pedigree players whose skills were likely to translate to the NHL. If you’ve been paying attention, you also know Lundestrom and Terry were poised for breakouts—although perhaps not to the latter’s extent (26 points in 27 games).

The team’s real eye-opener has been 25-year-old Sonny Milano (20 points in 23 games).

After the Columbus Blue Jackets discarded him for Devin Shore in 2019-20, he struggled to find his footing as a Duck. He posted five points in 15 games across two seasons and seemed destined to bounce between the pros and the AHL.

Then he was paired with a budding star and, more importantly, a kindred spirit:

In some ways, Zegras is the luxury model of the prospect Milano was when Columbus selected him 16th overall in 2014. Bold, gifted and decidedly raw. Anaheim doesn’t have to worry about the too-many-cooks-in-the-kitchen dilemma, though, because Milano has adapted his game to a remarkable degree. You usually know what you have in a 25-year-old, but he’s turned the corner by becoming…a puck hound:

Zegras—the most creative player the league has seen since Pavel Datsyuk—has proven he can create something out of nothing, and Milano continually grants him opportunities to do just that via his motor and hockey sense. He hustles to disrupt the opposition’s breakout, he works his tail off to gain leverage in 50/50 battles and he jars pucks loose with his active stick. By hook or by crook, he just gets Zegras touches.

Of course, a tireless work rate in and of itself isn’t enough to hang with such a potent offensive force. There’s a reason talk of Zach Hyman making the Canadian Olympic team is downright silly. Milano, for his part, actually fits the top-line bill. He may not deliver as many electrifying moments as Zegras does, but he shares a similar level of vision and offensive flair. Consequently, the duo can play off each other to create space and scoring chances.

This is particularly evident in transition, where the pair exchange quick dishes to keep the ball rolling:

While Zegras is a joy to watch, he’s still weak by NHL standards. Letting him to stay in motion rather than stopping, starting and digging maximizes his impact. It allows him to play his game, dissecting defenses at tempo with his superb playmaking and smooth hands.

Milano’s ability to connect with the youngster early and often has generated much stronger results for Zegras. Without Milano, he posted one point in four games while controlling 49.7% of the scoring chances, 50.4% of the expected goals and 33.3% of the actual goals at 5-on-5. With Milano, he’s registered 21 points in 22 games while putting up a 56.0 SCF%, 60.8 xGF% and 60.0 GF%. The numbers speak for themselves.

We can’t overlook Milano’s own knack for setting up teammates either. He was once a highly touted offensive prospect as well, and that talent hasn’t magically disappeared.

By combining his newfound nose for the puck with his natural playmaking instincts, he’s begun to complete slot passes on a nightly basis. Again, they aren’t as show-stopping as Zegras’ designs, but they add another vital dimension to the Ducks’ top unit:

Opponents can’t simply focus on Zegras when there’s a second catalyst out there. As such, he’s considerably more dangerous under these circumstances. Per 60 minutes, his expected goal rate spikes from 2.60 to 3.48 and his actual goal rate skyrockets from 1.70 to 4.27 with Milano on his wing. He finally has a linemate who operates on that wavelength.

Milano presents the ideal skill set to complement the 2019 ninth overall selection’s talents:

An ingenious approach, a swift release, a willingness to drive to the net and sublime hands. Since he boasts quite a bag of tricks himself, Milano is always ready for any slice of lunacy Zegras might throw his way. Even this:

The Flip Heard Around the World garnered all of the buzz—and it was undeniably sensational—but Milano’s reaction time and hand-eye coordination deserve some love too. How many players would have successfully batted that in? How many would have even been prepared to receive that kind of pass? Following Anaheim’s win over the Buffalo Sabres, Zegras told reporters that Milano called for a Michigan in the heat of the action.

He was built for this.

Anaheim’s latest dynamic duo may not rival Kariya-Selanne or Getzlaf–Perry, but it’s potent and firing on all cylinders at the moment. Zegras and Milano are producing bushels of goals and highlights together, and it’s becoming clearer by the game that one is not merely the product of the other. They consistently feed and feed off each other.

We expected this from Zegras sooner or later. However, Milano’s bloom at age 25 has caught the entire league by surprise and in turn made the 15-8-5 Ducks one of this season’s biggest surprises.