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Anaheim Ducks center Trevor Zegras was not with the team Thursday when it began training camp practices, as the young star remains without a contract in place for the upcoming season. Unsigned defenseman Jamie Drysdale also joined him on the sideline as players reported to their practice facility.

Zegras, already the marketable face for the NHL club and one of the league’s rising talents, is a restricted free agent who finished his entry-level deal last season. The 22-year-old tied for the team lead in goals with 23 — equaling his total from his rookie season — and led the Ducks with 65 points.

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In his “32 Thoughts” podcast earlier this month, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported the Ducks and Zegras figure to arrive at a bridge deal of shorter-term length, rather than something akin to the seven-year extension Anaheim signed Troy Terry to in August just before a scheduled salary arbitration hearing.

Zegras was not eligible for arbitration, and it’s given Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek — who has shown he won’t rush into handing out extensions for his top young players — more time to push for a contract closer to the terms he’s seeking. On Tuesday, Zegras’s agent Pat Brisson confirmed the two sides are in talks but his client “can’t be at camp” if a deal didn’t get done by Wednesday.

Progression toward an extension has been a challenge. The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reported on TSN’s “Insider Trading” segment Tuesday that Zegras and the Ducks have agreed on a three-year structure but a “tangible gap” remains in annual average salary.

“It’s not moving much, but we are talking,” Brisson told The Athletic.

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The situation with Zegras isn’t the only contractual snag Verbeek is dealing with. Drysdale also completed his rookie contract, but is coming off a season limited to just eight games after suffering a torn labrum in his left shoulder last October.

Theoretically, it would figure Drysdale doesn’t have much of a negotiation stance given he has only one complete NHL season under his belt and isn’t eligible to receive an offer sheet. But the 21-year-old, who was the sixth pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, is also an integral part of the Ducks’ rebuilding effort and figures to be back in an important top-four role this season. He had 32 points in 2021-22 to rank second behind Detroit Red Wings’ Moritz Seider in rookie defenseman scoring.

The gap between the sides is believed to be significant. Asked if any progress has been made toward a new contract, Drysdale’s agent, Dave Gagner said, “We’re just working on it.” Gagner has been in Anaheim exchanging proposals with Ducks assistant GM Jeff Solomon, their lead negotiator.

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The tough stance with two important players for their future is causing some consternation among the Anaheim fan base, especially knowing the team has more than $16 million available under the salary cap and can seemingly easily fit both players in their budget. Opening camp without his top center and one of his top defenders isn’t ideal for new coach Greg Cronin to begin his first season.

The team reported for physicals Wednesday and has its first on-ice workout at Great Park Ice in Irvine on Thursday. The Ducks play the first of eight preseason games Sunday against the Los Angeles Kings in Anaheim.

Zegras and Drysdale have been in Southern California since early September and have been skating with teammates in informal player-run practices. But their participation has come to a close with the start of camp.

The Ducks have worked through similar situations before. The last time the franchise had players who missed part or all of camp for contractual reasons was in 2016 with Rickard Rakell and Hampus Lindholm. Ultimately, then-GM Bob Murray signed both to six-year extensions. Verbeek traded Rakell and Lindholm in the spring of 2022 as they approached unrestricted free agency.

In Zegras’s case, a three-year agreement could prove more beneficial for the center. With the prospect (or even expectation) of the salary cap increasing $10 million or $12 million over the next three years by some estimates, Zegras could position himself for a gigantic third contract if he emerges as a leading star league-wide and cements himself as Anaheim’s best player and franchise face.

Work on that second one continues, and it appears a conclusion isn’t imminent.

“It’s not good for anyone to miss camp,” Brisson told LeBrun and The Athletic’s Michael Russo last week. “It’s not good for the organization. It’s not good for any players that matter. So, we’re going into this in good faith, trying to work a fair deal. And hopefully, we can get something done.

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“Hopefully, I can put a timeline before camp. If not, then unfortunately, we’ll have to explore other options. But the goal here is to get it done before camp.”

New Jersey Devils star Jack Hughes, who played in the U.S. National Team Development Program with Zegras and is close with the dynamic playmaker, expressed optimism at the Ducks and his friend working things out to continue their association.

“I think he’s good,” Hughes said. “I think he’s a great player. Best player on their team. It’s good for the league. He needs to be back and hopefully, he can get a deal done soon.”

Michael Russo contributed to this report.

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(Photo: Rich Graessle / Getty Images)

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