Zacha was selected by the Devils with the No. 6 pick at the 2015 NHL Draft after he scored 34 points (16 goals, 18 assists) in 37 games in his first season with Sarnia of the Ontario Hockey League.
Zacha quickly developed into a two-way center with Sarnia and was named the Western Conference's best penalty-killer by OHL coaches following the 2015-16 season, when he also scored 64 points (28 goals, 36 assists) in 51 games.
Zacha was selected by the Devils with the No. 6 pick at the 2015 NHL Draft after he scored 34 points (16 goals, 18 assists) in 37 games in his first season with Sarnia of the Ontario Hockey League.
Zacha quickly developed into a two-way center with Sarnia and was named the Western Conference's best penalty-killer by OHL coaches following the 2015-16 season, when he also scored 64 points (28 goals, 36 assists) in 51 games.
He made his NHL debut against the Toronto Maple Leafs on April 9, 2016 and had two assists and a plus-4 rating in 16:51 of ice time.
After scoring eight goals in consecutive seasons (2016-17, 2017-18), Zacha scored an NHL career high 13 in 61 games for the Devils in 2018-19. He signed a three-year, $6.75 million contract with New Jersey on Sept. 10, 2019.
Zacha had an NHL career high 32 points (eight goals, 24 assists) before the 2019-20 season was paused March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus.
On the international stage, Zacha represented the Czech Republic at the IIHF World Junior Championship three years in a row (2014-16).
Zacha signed a one-year, $3.5 million contract with the Boston Bruins on Aug. 8, 2022. He was traded to Boston by New Jersey on July 13. On Jan. 14, 2023, he signed a four-year, $19 million contract with an average annual value of $4.75 million.
NOTES & TRANSACTIONS
- OHL All-Rookie Team (2015)
- Traded to Boston by New Jersey for Erik Haula, July 13, 2022.
