Trevor Zegras, Anaheim Ducks
The Philadelphia Flyers didn’t end the 2023-24 season as one of the most youthful teams, but they were one of the younger groups out there, clocking in at No. 13 per Elite Prospects. It also wouldn’t be the NHL offseason without some Trevor Zegras trade talk, and someone like the Anaheim Ducks center would make a younger team even younger and even better.
Currently, the Flyers have Owen Tippett, Joel Farabee, Noah Cates, Morgan Frost, and Tyson Foerster at forward, who are 25 or younger as I write this. Should the Flyers trade for Trevor Zegras and everything else remain equal among the aforementioned players, they’re just adding to a young core of forwards by acquiring one of the brighter talents in the league.
His 2023-24 season didn’t go the way anyone envisioned, as injuries plagued Zegras, but let’s look at the damage he caused over his first two full seasons in the league. He saw ice time in 156 contests, with 46 goals, 80 assists, 126 points, 18:23 average total ice time, 102 hits, and 71 takeaways.
Those numbers are encouraging, so imagine what will happen if he’s playing for at least a halfway decent team in Philadelphia. If healthy, Zegras should easily fit into the lineup and put up his greatest numbers yet, especially if he can keep logging top-six minutes.
Adding a talent like Zegras would allow for an already solid hockey team to further solidify itself for the future. With numerous division rivals, or everyone not named the New York Rangers or Carolina Hurricanes, facing uncertainty, the added stability Zegras would bring puts the Flyers ahead. If only Daniel Briere could find a way to get him from Anaheim to Philadelphia, Zegras would more than reward this franchise.
(Statistics powered by Hockey-Reference)