Arizona Coyotes forward Barrett Hayton, left, collides with Ducks defenseman John Klingberg during the first period of their preseason game on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)
Ducks defenseman Dmitri Kulikov, right, passes the puck while defended by Arizona Coyotes forward Jack McBain during the first period of their preseason game on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)
Arizona Coyotes forward Barrett Hayton, left, and Ducks defenseman John Klingberg vie for the puck during the first period of their preseason game on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)
Arizona Coyotes forward Jan Jenik, right, and Ducks defenseman Jamie Drysdale vie for the puck during the first period of their preseason game on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)
Ducks forward Dmitri Osipov, right, works on the puck against Arizona Coyotes defenseman Patrik Nemeth, second from right, and forward Reece Vitelli, second from left, during the first period of their preseason game on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)
Ducks forward Blake McLaughlin, left, and Arizona Coyotes forward Barrett Hayton vie for the puck during the first period of their preseason game on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)
Ducks forward Chase De Leo, right, and Arizona Coyotes forward Matias Maccelli vie for the puck during the first period of their preseason game on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)
Arizona Coyotes forward Jan Jenik, left, controls the puck against Ducks forward Benoit-Olivier Groulx during the first period of their preseason game on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)
Ducks forward Ryan Strome (16) scores on Arizona Coyotes goalie Karel Vejmelka during the second period of their preseason game on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)
Ducks forward Ryan Strome, left, celebrates his goal against the Arizona Coyotes during the second period of their preseason game on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)
Ducks defenseman Simon Benoit, left, and Arizona Coyotes forward Zack Kassian fight during the second period of their preseason game on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)
Arizona Coyotes forward Jan Jenik, left, and Ducks forward Adam Henrique fight during the second period of their preseason game on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)
Arizona Coyotes goalie Karel Vejmelka protects the net against Ducks forward Isac Lundestrom during the second period of their preseason game on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)
Arizona Coyotes defenseman Victor Soderstrom, center, is congratulated for his goal during the second period of their preseason game against the Ducks on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)
Arizona Coyotes goalie Karel Vejmelka and defensemen Vladislav Kolyachonok (92) and Victor Soderstrom (77) defend against Ducks forward Ryan Strome during the third period of their preseason game on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)
Arizona Coyotes goalie Karel Vejmelka gives up a goal to the Ducks during the third period of their preseason game on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)
Ducks goalie Lukas Dostal blocks a shot by the Arizona Coyotes during the third period of their preseason game on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)
Ducks forward Ryan Strome shoots as Arizona Coyotes goalie Karel Vejmelka defends during the third period of their preseason game on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)
Ducks goalie Lukas Dostal, right, blocks a shot by Arizona Coyotes forward Zack Kassian during the third period of their preseason game on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)
Arizona Coyotes goalie Karel Vejmelka, left, and Ducks forward Isac Lundestrom watch the puck during the third period of their preseason game on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)
ANAHEIM — It was a potentially costly preseason game for the Ducks.
Ducks star Trevor Zegras suffered an upper-body injury in the second period of their 3-1 victory over the Arizona Coyotes on Wednesday night at Honda Center.
Zegras was carrying the puck into the neutral zone and took a hard hit at the red line from Coyotes forward Jan Jenik at 8:13 of the second period. From the minute Zegras went down – in obvious discomfort – the Ducks were bracing for bad news. He immediately went back to the dressing room.
The Ducks announced before the third period that Zegras would not be returning. It was the Ducks’ third preseason game and had been the first appearance by Zegras. Against the Coyotes, he centered Adam Henrique and newcomer Frank Vatrano.
“He got dinged,” Ducks coach Dallas Eakins said of Zegras. “It was obviously a very hard hit. You never like to see your player go down like that. I thought our team – especially Adam Henrique – had the appropriate response.”
Zegras’ status was unclear.
“I haven’t even touched base with our trainers,” Eakins said.
Defenseman John Klingberg also left the game early, but Eakins did not sound concerned about that being anything significant.
“Klingberg is not an injury at all,” Eakins said. “Nothing to do with anything like that. We don’t have to worry about him being out long term.”
Expectations have been raised for the 21-year-old Zegras in a meaningful way after a headline-making rookie season. Last season, he had 23 goals and 61 points in 75 games and finished second in Calder Trophy voting to Moritz Seider of the Detroit Red Wings, who led rookie defensemen in assists (43) and points (50).
