The Philadelphia Flyers acquired Trevor Zegras from the Anaheim Ducks on Monday morning, and they didn't have to give up very much in order to get the high-upside center.
The Ducks got the No. 45 pick in this year's draft, a fourth-round selection in 2026, and center Ryan Poehling in exchange for Zegras -- which feels like a bargain on the Flyers' end of things.
Ultimately, both clubs got something valuable that brings them closer to achieving their goals. Anaheim collected more draft picks and 26-year-old Poehling to continue their rebuild. This is the second major swap from the Ducks this offseason, having received Chris Kreider from the New York Rangers exactly one week prior to the Zegras deal.
Meanwhile, Philadelphia picks up a talented young player at a position they desperately needed filled who could very well be a kickstarter in the push for playoff contention.
Zegras has dealt with some major injuries over the last two seasons that have put a damper on the offensive production we saw during his rookie and sophomore campaigns. A torn meniscus and subsequent surgery held him to 57 games this year, during which he scored 12 goals and 32 points. Over the past two seasons, he's missed a total of 72 games due to various lower body ailments.
Still, the 24-year-old has two 60-point seasons under his belt and the potential to return to his scoring ways if he is able to remain healthy going forward. He's in the final year of his contract, earning an affordable $5.75 million. Flyers GM Daniel Briere pulled off a low-risk, high-reward trade as Zegras could fit anywhere in the lineup, even as high as the top line in the right circumstances.
Where does Zegras fit in the Flyers' lineup?
The Flyers are frontloaded with skilled wingers like Travis Konecny and Matvei Michkov who need a strong center to help generate scoring chances. Sean Couturier has been the team's top guy down the middle over recent years, but he's in a similar boat to Zegras as he's been bogged down by injuries that have made his offense suffer.
Those things considered, Zegras would be a good fit in a second line role, but he could very easily beat out Couturier for the title of first line center. Even in a season with 25 missed games, Zegras tied Couturier with 0.57 points per game, which is fourth-most on the Flyers.
His style of play is marked by flashy passes and daring offensive opportunities. If Zegras does manage to fit in on the top line, skating in between Michkov and Konecny would give him the perfect outlets for his creative playmaking.
Zegras and Michkov soon pic.twitter.com/TIriiiORkv
— Liam Blutman (@Blutman27) June 23, 2025
Zegras is elite when it comes to finding passing lanes. He reads the ice very efficiently and produces clean zone entries as well as efficient puck distribution, two qualities that the Flyers have been sorely lacking up front. That opens up the ice for someone like Michkov to bounce off of, and any one of the three potential first liners has the proven ability to finish a play with a clean shot attempt.
One area that could still use improvement is his play on the back end of the puck. But with Rick Tocchet behind the Philadelphia bench -- a disciplined and no-nonsense coach -- Zegras will be kept accountable in order to improve his defensive game further. Konecny is a responsible forward, so that influence could balance out the high-risk, high-reward offensive style that Zegras is known for.
A fresh start could be just what the doctor ordered for both Zegras and the Flyers as the team continues to inch closer to its first playoff appearance since 2020.