What will Trevor Zegras' arrival via trade mean for the Flyers' need at center?

New York Times

5 days ago

The Philadelphia Flyers were always going to have to get creative in order to fill the substantial weakness straight through the middle of their line chart.
General manager Daniel Briere essentially suggested as much last week when he said that 'calling around the league and finding centers is almost impossible. You're not going to find a first-line or second-line center.'
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So, enter a guy who has spent the vast majority of the past two seasons actually playing left wing for the Anaheim Ducks, but who the Flyers presumably hope can shift back to his natural position of center when he was drafted at No. 9 overall in 2019: Trevor Zegras.
The Flyers almost certainly made this trade — dealing Ryan Poehling, a 2025 second round pick (No. 45 overall) and a 2026 fourth round pick — with the idea that Zegras can skate as a center on one of their top two lines. Perhaps they envision him with budding star Matvei Michkov, forming a duo that can dazzle in the offensive zone with a particular flair and ingenuity. Or, maybe Michkov remains with Sean Couturier, giving Zegras an opportunity to fully unlock and connect with someone such as Owen Tippett, who took a step backward in his production this season but still has a substantial tool box. Training camp in September will give new coach Rick Tocchet ample time to mix and match, and see what sort of chemistry develops.
Speaking about the trade on Monday afternoon, Briere said that ultimately it will be up to Tocchet to determine which position Zegras plays. But, Briere acknowledged, 'we hope he can help in the center position, because that's obviosuly an area that we could improve.'
After Zegras skated in the middle for the early part of his career — including during his rookie season, when he finished second in Calder Trophy voting for rookie of the year, with 61 points in 75 games as a 20-year-old — now former Ducks coach Greg Cronin moved him to the wing to start the 2023-24 season, in order to make room for up-and-coming centers such as Leo Carlsson and Mason McTavish.
Zegras's production dipped. He managed only six goals and 15 points in 31 games in 2023-24, while tallying 12 goals and 20 assists for 32 points in 57 games this season. To be fair, there were some notable injuries to Zegras' groin, ankle and knee the past two years that likely contributed to his drop in offense, while his name was in persistent trade rumors, too, which probably didn't help (Briere admitted they had discussions with the Ducks about Zegras in the past.)
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But, that drop in scoring is 'why he was available in the first place,' Briere said. 'Top-six talents are very rarely available around the NHL. We felt that was a risk worth taking for us. We've seen him in the past. He had those really good seasons at 20 and 21 years old. Yes, injuries were a factor the last couple years. Other than that, it's tough for us to tell on the outside. We're not in the room, we're not with the coaching staff, the other players. Sometimes it can be chemistry, as well.'
Briere said that he spoke with Zegras on Monday, although they didn't get into specifics regarding where he might play. Still, it seems inevitable he'll get an opportunity to thrive in his preferred position, at least according to Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek, who mentioned the player's desire to skate in the middle again.
'Ultimately, Trevor, he's been wanting to play center,' Verbeek said. 'And I think he'll be given that opportunity in Philadelphia to play center. I think he's more creative in the middle of the ice than having to play from the wing. We're fortunate there's Leo and there's Mason. We find that they're two pretty good centermen. Trevor has to kind of get pushed to the wing, and that probably doesn't suit his best attributes, being able to play and create from the middle.'
As others have already mentioned, this isn't much of a high-risk transaction for the Flyers. In fact, It could be considered a blueprint in asset management. Briere acquired what was a distressed property in the 2023 offseason in Poehling, saw him turn into a more than serviceable fourth-line center, and made him the centerpiece of a deal that could — emphasis on could — pay off terrifically if Zegras can get back on track. Further, the second-round pick the Flyers surrendered, originally property of Columbus, was a part of the Ivan Provorov trade two years ago, a deal that also netted them defenseman Sean Walker, who was flipped last season for the No. 22 overall pick in this year's draft.
Further, Zegras has just one more year left on his contract at a $5.75 million AAV, after which he'll be a restricted free agent under team control. The Flyers can re-up him a year from now (or earlier) if he proves his worth, or walk away if he doesn't.
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So, will he?
One pro scout familiar with the Pacific Division believes the Flyers taking a chance on Zegras is sensible.
'I didn't mind the swing here,' said the scout. 'Obviously, Z has his warts, areas that need work, but can't deny his skill set/talent. … First time changing organizations, and a new scenery could help. See it as a low-risk, high-reward type deal for a 24-year-old player with point-per-game potential.'
A current Eastern Conference assistant coach was a bit more skeptical, saying that Zegras has 'skill that is undeniable,' but questioning whether his style would fit on any of the four teams that advanced to the conference finals this year.
Added a Western Conference assistant coach: 'Very skilled and talented. His issue has been that he doesn't value play without the puck. Will continue to be an issue until he decides it is important.'
It's fair, also, to note that while Briere didn't surrender a lot to acquire Zegras, that might also reflect the player's diminished value around the league.
Still, if Zegras reaches his potential, he could be just what the Flyers need: an infusion of elite-level skill who can create something about of nothing, and who can get the organization moving in the right direction again next season, as is the plan. Briere still has some work to do if that's going to happen — finding another experienced goalie remains at the top of the list, and they also now need to fill the fourth-line center void left by Poehling — but there's a good chance that the acquisition of Zegras ends up being their most notable transaction of the still-early offseason.
'We feel good about it because of what he's shown in the past,' Briere said. 'We hope he can find that magic again, and take it to another level.'
(Photo of Trevor Zegras: Steph Chambers / Getty Images)