What Are The Flyers Getting in Trade Acquisition Trevor Zegras?

Fans of the NHL collectively dropped their jaws when they saw a new version of the “Michigan goal” from the Anaheim Ducks in 2021.

Trevor Zegras cradled the puck behind the Buffalo Sabres goal line but instead flipped it Sonny Milano for a slap out of midair to the back of the net. John Tortorella, working as an analyst for ESPN, oddly questioned whether or not the flashy skill was good for the NHL.

In a twist of irony, Zegras will quickly proceed Tortorella to the Philadelphia Flyers.

Zegras could bring the dynamic skill set the Flyers sorely miss in their crop of centers. He broke out at the NHL level with 61 points in 2021-22 and 65 points in 2022-23. Zegras' creative vision with the puck emerged as the best element of his skill set.

His .81 points per game average during that span would’ve easily led a Flyers team void of offensive firepower in two miserable seasons.

However, the former ninth-overall pick has since slipped. He’s played only 88 games the past two seasons. He lost favor within the Ducks organization during the tenure of general manager Pat Verbeek with young centers like Leo Carlsson and Mason McTavish on the rise.

The Ducks bumped Zegras to the wing for stretches of his 57 games in 2024-25. The Flyers hope to find offensive upside down the middle in 2025-26, so he appears to have a logical slot as a top-six center in Philadelphia.

The Flyers leaned heavily on the evaluation of senior advisor and former Anaheim GM Bob Murray when they acquired Jamie Drysdale from the Ducks in January 2024.

Zegras has a strong relationship with Drysdale that could help the acclimation process for a young player experiencing a change of scenery. His contract carries a $5.75 million cap hit for the final season of his deal in 2025-26 before he reaches restricted free agency.

Danny Briere bought low on a young player with high upside and long-term question marks.

The Flyers have serviceable centers entering 2025-26, but they lack the offensive firepower down the middle that characterizes playoff contenders.

They can no longer count on 32-year-old Sean Couturier to produce as the top-end scorer from his NHL prime. Noah Cates brings solid all-around value, but he ideally slots as a third-line center. Rick Tocchet will evaluate whether 2024 first-round pick Jett Luchanko is ready for the NHL in 2025-26.

Zegras isn’t an ideal first-liner that immediately fills the void for a center who feeds the puck to budding star Matvei Michkov for years to come. However, his skill, creativity, and offensive ceiling exceed any reasonable expectations of other centers in the organization – whether he maximizes his high potential or not.

He could benefit from an extended look at center on a team developing its long-term strengths.

Briere landed Zegras without significantly damaging the organization's stockpile of NHL Draft picks. The Flyers still own three first-round picks and three second-round picks in the 2025 NHL Draft on June 27 and 28.

While Ryan Poehling meshed well with a young group of rebuilding Flyers, he’s best served in a role in the bottom six of an NHL lineup. A four-year commitment to Cates overrode the need for an investment in Poehling’s future.

Why were the Ducks willing to deal a player with such high offensive upside and creativity with the puck for an underwhelming return package?

Trade rumors swirled around Trevor Zegras for the past few seasons. He failed to build on his impressive scoring totals from his first two seasons with the development of an all-around game to help him grow into the top-line player the Flyers hope they’re getting.

Is he a player with all style and no substance? Zegras struggled defensively the past two seasons based on comprehensive play-driving metrics. He ranked in the bottom tier of qualified NHL skaters in rates of opponent scoring chances, shot attempts, and expected goals allowed.

The Flyers have entrusted Rick Tocchet with player evaluation tasks. One of the franchise’s most legendary sandpaper forwards commands respect from current NHL players.

Some NHL circles worry that high draft picks from the US National Development Program enter the pros with a sense of entitlement.

The Flyers experienced the extremities of the Cutter Gauthier saga. Rutger McGroarty similarly forced a trade from the Winnipeg Jets two years after they selected him with the 14th-overall pick.

Acquiring a player who didn’t always click in Anaheim isn’t a red flag that should crush optimism about the acquisition. Trevor Zegras has the opportunity to use the change of scenery after the trade to dismiss concerns about his willingness for development at the NHL level.

The Flyers inherit only a one-year commitment to Zegras. His assimilation will test the culture they’ve worked so hard to rebuild the past two seasons under the current front office structure.

Developing a young center into a dynamic offensive contributor would become a key success story of the culture if Zegras proves his long-term value in Philadelphia.