When the Flyers acquired Trevor Zegras, Danny Briere spoke about giving him the opportunity to slide back to the center position. It was an area of need for the team, and they wanted to give him a shot to prove he could stick there. Until last season, Zegras had spent the majority of his time down the middle, so it's an area he was familiar with.
But the experiment didn't last long. And it's not surprising given his track record. Zegras' best year taking faceoffs came in his rookie season, and he was only 43.8 percent. All in all, Zegras took 1,537 faceoffs as a member of the Ducks, posting a 40.1 percent mark. That wasn't going to cut it unless there was a dramatic improvement.
It's a small sample size with the Flyers, as Zegras has only taken 222 faceoffs, by far the lowest amongst centers on the team. His 32.4 percent mark was far below that of the same group as well. Faceoffs aren't the only thing to determine how well a center can be, but they are a big part of things.
He has shown an ability to drive play in his team's favor. His CF% in his first two seasons with the Ducks was over 50 percent. Even during the years he suffered injuries and was moved to the wing, he still hovered near 45 percent. So he has shown himself to be able to help drive play when on the ice. But it hasn't been enough to solidify himself down the middle.
And Briere has taken notice of where Zegras fits in better.
Trevor Zegras' success at wing has limited his center opportunities
"He's been at his best when he played the wing this year. That's just the reality," Danny Briere said during his post-deadline press conference. "I wish I could say the opposite. I wish I could say he's much better when he plays center, but the reality is that he's been at his best when he plays with [Konecny] and Dvorak. That line has been our best line for a while now."
"There's always been the possibility, and you see it. He's played a few games in the middle. We know he can play the middle as well, but he just seems to have chemistry with Dvorak and TK at the moment, so that's why I put him more on the wing.
The trio has played almost 300 minutes together at even strength and nearly 380 minutes total, so there is a large enough sample size to see how they've performed. Strictly at even strength, they have an advantage in most offensive categories and are outscoring the opposition 20-15. They are finding themselves in more dangerous shooting areas, and that's coming with almost half of their faceoffs taking place in the defensive zone. So they're finding ways to get up ice and generate chances.
What has worked wonders for Zegras has been Dvorak. The two have clicked, and Dvorak has been able to take some of the center responsibilities off Zegras' plate when needed. Both are on pace for career years and have proven, along with Dan Vladar, to be some of Briere's best moves since taking over as GM. Add Konecny, who has taken off after some bumpy moments, and you can see why the trio has been the Flyers' best line recently.
Zegras may still see some moments at center and could grow into the role over time. He's still only 24 years old and has blossomed during his first season in Philadelphia. But for now, why not leave him where he's most successful?