The Philadelphia Flyers watched their moves from last season pay off spectacularly, and it helped them make the playoffs for the first time in six years. one of the big move was to trade for Trevor Zegras, whose career wasn't panning out with the Anaheim Ducks. In Zegras' first year in Philadelphia, he became one of their top scorers in the regular season, and their leading scorer in the playoffs, where they made it to the second round.
This offseason, Zegras was rewarded with a four-year, $36.5 million contract extension, as he hit restricted free agency. it was a no-brainer move for the Flyers, considering how much he thrived in a new situation. Now, with a new contract comes high expectations. Oh, and more tasks to add to his to-do list.
Trevor Zegras expected to be Flyers' solution at center during 2026-27 season
During a recent mailbag article, The Athletic's Kevin Kurz was asked by a fan if Zegras will have a short leash at center before being moved back to the wing. Kurz says that the Flyers expect Zegras to remain in the middle, as he showed late this past season that "he did enough for the coaching staff to believe he can remain there." The simple fact is, the Flyers don't have many other options at center as of now.
"Whether he stays there, well, that will be up to him primarily, unless Daniel Briere goes out and finds another high-end center," writes Kurz. "The plan is for Jett Luchanko to spend the season in AHL Lehigh Valley, so there really aren’t any other options for centers on the roster as it currently stands, unless Barkey gets more time there, too."
There aren't many other options at center for the Flyers to flip Zegras back to the wing as of now. So, he will be one of the top two options alongside Christian Dvorak.
Zegras hasn't had much playing time under center since 2022-23 season with the Ducks. In the face-off circle, Zegras struggled a bit, earning just 131 wins on 253 opportunities. He did improve in his chances in the playoffs, winning 33-of-42 face-offs. Considering that he is locked into the top six forward group, the Flyers will need to see more wins than losses during the regular season.
Zegras has already said this offseason that he knows he needs to be better at center, and he is embracing the challenge.
There are no other centers coming to save Flyers
As Kurz mentioned in his mailbag article, the Flyers don't really have many feasible center options, including internally. Jett Luchanko isn't expected to be on the pro roster heading into this season. Kurz also mentions the possibility of giving Denver Barkey some chances at center.
The external options are limited as well. The Flyers tried making a splash by signing Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson to a five-year, $90 million offer sheet. However, the Ducks matched the offer, thus keeping Carlsson in Anaheim.
Besides that, there is Dylan Larkin still lurking on the trade block after his request back in June. However, the Flyers were not on his limited list of destinations. Yet, things could change if Larkin expands his list once the Detroit Red Wings hire a new general manager if that's the route he chooses to go in. From there, it would be interesting if the Flyers make the expanded list.
Other than that, there aren't many other options. Robert Thomas of the St. Louis Blues appears to be off the board months after being floated at the trade deadline. Columbus Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli seems like a non-option, with the two sides expected to reach an agreement on a long-term contract extension. And you can scratch the names of Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews off the list, as they seem ready to go for the Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple Leafs, respectively.
Things can obviously change at the trade deadline next March, with more options potentially becoming available. But for now, the Flyers are going to be putting their trust in Zegras.
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