Zegras is Marner lite. Wouldn't be someone I'd want in my lineup in the playoffs. More concerned with Michigan's and looking good, like Marner is concerned with T-pushes and blind back hand passes.

Yes but it creates a powerful back end for the playoffs because of cap space which is worth the trade off

By definition, any proposed Marner trade is unrealistic because we don't know which state of reality exists since the difference between Marner on an expiring contract and Marner with a long-term extension is the difference between a fart and a hurricane.

By the way, your entire premise is wrong: Anaheim is within $13 million of the projected cap floor right now and has only 17 players on the roster, so the Ducks won't have any trouble reaching the cap floor.

Considering that ducks are the only team that’s going to be in cup talks within three years and have the cap flexibility to take on marner with an extension, it still makes sense

No it doesn't. And the trade for Zebras doesn't make sense for the Leafs. Rather have the cap. space than Zebras, which the Leafs will have in summer of 2025.
Leafs are much better with Marner for one season than Zebras and Martinez (at 5.5).
Only team in Cup talks in the next three years.....that's a really stretch. How about the Leafs when Tavares and Marner are gone in 2025,,,,that's 22m in cap, never mind 25 other teams.

And because of that, we don't want to burn $12 million on a support piece.

Both teams decline. ANA doesn’t trade an RFA controlled solid contract Zegras for an expiring UFA. It comes with an extension? Great, same feedback but that we don’t want a $12M winger that doesn’t play to the team’s desired style

Meanwhile TOR isn’t trading their 100pt producing winger due to a lack of physical edge for Zegras. A point producer who plays with very little physical edge