As you know by now, the Flyers swung a big deal yesterday with the Anaheim Ducks for center/winger Trevor Zegras. The idea is that he will play at center, stay healthy, and be a top-six forward. Currently, this gives the Flyers a top-three corps of centers featuring Zegras, Noah Cates, and Sean Couturier. That's not a bad group if all goes well.
While all trades involve team changes, this one has some major potential repercussions for the Flyers moving forward. Let's examine how this affects this team.
The Flyers didn't give up much for Zegras
First, the Flyers didn't give up much. The team lost the third of four second-round picks heading into the draft and a fourth-round pick next year. The Flyers also lost Ryan Poehling. I liked Poehling. He was a great grinder on the fourth line. There is the possibility he could return next year when he is a free agent.
That's a light return for Zegras. Part of that was Anaheim improved its situation by trading for Chris Kreider. There are some reports that said that the Flyers were interested in Zegras earlier, but the price tag was too high. Acquiring Kreider made Zegras expendable. By not giving up a lot of assets, the Flyers didn't mortgage the future.
Briere could look at other options in the draft
Daniel Briere held onto all three of his first-round draft picks and gave up one of the middle-second-round picks. The Flyers still have six picks in the top 50. That's pretty wild.
The Zegras trade will affect the draft. Before, it was widely assumed that the Flyers would snag one of the centers in the draft. Anton Frondell, Brady Martin, Jake O'Brien, and Caleb Desnoyers have all been mocked to the Flyers. But is a center their top priority now? With Jett Luchano waiting, and with him possibly cracking the roster this upcoming year, does it make sense?
You can never have too many centers. However, the Flyers have other holes to fill. Now they have options. Maybe they go for a left winger, like Lynden Lakovic. Perhaps they can use this pick to shore up the defense with a guy like Radim Mrtka or Kashawn Aitcheson. The Flyers could also drop down a pick or two if there is a run on centers and get more future assets.
The point is, this shakes up the entire draft. Where before, the team could go back-to-back centers, say Frondell or O'Brien and Carter Bear, they can draft a defender/winger/goalie earlier in the latter half of the first round instead. This gives the team flexibility, which also makes them a lot more dangerous in this draft.
How does this change free agent signings?
After the Zegras trade, the Flyers have about $15 million left to spend. They have to sign Cam York and Jakob Pelletier if they still choose to do so. The trade for Zegras also influences where they will spend that money.
First off, you can count out any overspending on a guy like John Tavares, Sam Bennett, Mikael Granlund, Christian Dvorak, or Jack Roslovic. Likewise, the team won't overpay/overtrade for an RFA like Cody Glass, Mason McTavish, or Gabe Villardi. Those aren't a priority anymore, although I might make an exception for Bennett.
Seriously though, the Flyers can now focus on three positions. If you want a left wing, there is Brad Marchand, who can also play center if someone is injured, Nikolaj Ehlers, or Jeff Skinner, another guy who can double at center if you feel the need to splurge. At defense, Aaron Ekblad and Dmitri Orlov are some great vets who can provide some dependable play. If you want to go the RFA route, you can make a move for K'Andre Miller, Noah Dobson, or Evan Bouchard. Each of these young guys would be a huge upgrade to what the Flyers have.
Then there is the goalie market. The Flyers need help with goalies. There aren't a whole lot of great ones available. Again, when you are making the case for re-signing Alex Lyon, there isn't a lot to pick from. Jake Allen might be an option, but it is looking like a crowd is lining up for his services. The Flyers might have to swing a trade for a goalie if they want to get one. Likewise, this opens up the chances that they could consider Joshua Ravensburgen or Aleksei Medvedev in the draft.
The Flyers long term goals
Zegras is getting paid $5.75 million this season. That's almost three times as much as Poehling was, but it is only for a year. Zegras, for the relatively small price paid for him, has a year to prove his worth. If he can stay healthy and perform to what he has had in the past, he can expect a nice payday. If he doesn't, he could be dealt at the deadline if Philly are sellers again. They could let him go as an RFA, but that's unlikely.
The worst-case scenario is that he doesn't work out. If that is the case, his money falls into next year's cash pool and could go to luring a center or other top free agent, here. Likewise, hopefully Luchanko and Denver Barkey are ready to take over that spot anyway.
The Flyers aren't going to be hampered by a long-term, expensive deal that hinders their ability to maneuver in the future. It's the classic low-risk, high-reward move. Either Zegras is the center the Flyers have needed and they're good, or he's not, and they're still okay. One thing is for certain: Briere is not done yet. This is just the start.