Trevor Zegras was destined to become a Philadelphia Flyer. For the past few years, every offseason and trade deadline has linked the two sides together. Danny Briere finally pulled the trigger to acquire the high-potential forward without giving up much value.
Sure, Ryan Poehling filled in nicely when called upon. He was a solid fourth-line player, but not much more than that. He bet on himself when he signed in Philadelphia, and after a career season, earned himself an extension. His numbers were even better this season, but he still topped out at just 31 points.
Zegras had 32 points this season, and that was one of his worst years. Injuries have hurt him in back-to-back seasons, limiting him to 31 games in 2023-24 and 57 this past season. Before that, he posted back-to-back 60+ point campaigns. So already, the Flyers are getting the higher value player in the deal.
And the Flyers did all of this without giving up a first-round pick. That might be the best part of all of this. Because of the injuries and down seasons from Zegras, his value was not as high as in previous years. Giving up a second in a draft where the Flyers still have three of them and a fourth-round pick in another draft is more than worth it.
The move for Zegras has low-risk, high-reward written all over it. He has one year remaining on his deal before becoming a restricted free agent. Sure, the $5.75 million looks bad with the point totals that he has produced lately. But Briere and the Flyers are banking on him turning back into the star player he looked to be during his first few seasons. It's a risk worth taking for a team that could use his talent.
Trevor Zegras is a Philadelphia Flyer. pic.twitter.com/bIBN2Qu05O
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) June 23, 2025
They get a potentially game-breaking forward to pair up with either Matvei Michkov or Travis Konecny. You could even put all three on the same line if you need to load up late in a game. Some questions have arisen on whether or not Zegras can make it as a center in the NHL. His 40.1 faceoff percentage isn't inspiring. That would be the lowest amongst any of the Flyers' regular centers.
His numbers are skewed, though, since he hasn't spent much time at center recently. He took 186 faceoffs this past season and 138 the previous year. The most he took in one season was 573 in 2022-23. With the Flyers' need at center, he will almost certainly shift back to the middle. And if he finds success, he could be moved back to the wing if Philadelphia finds a true number one center down the line.
Zegras has been known to pull off creative moves on the ice and isn't afraid to try new things. Most notable was his impressive pass over the back of the net to Sonny Milano in 2021. He also pulled off the Michigan in the same season, something Michkov has been known to try a few times. Those two could team up for some highlight-reel goals.
This is the exact kind of move the organization has talked about. After a few seasons of determining where the team was and what they needed, they've taken the next step. Zegras is the perfect example of a young player in the prime of his career who could use a change of scenery. He will be an RFA at the end of next season, so the Flyers have time to see what they can get out of him.
Briere checked all the boxes with this move. And if it fails? At least the risk was taken. As someone famous once said, "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." And this is a shot Briere didn't hesitate to take.