Latest news with #RyanPoehling
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Latest Philadelphia Flyers Depth Chart Following Trevor Zegras Trade
Trevor Zegras immediately steps into a featured role in the Flyers' top-six. (Photo: Orlando Ramirez, Imagn Images) After Monday's Trevor Zegras trade, the Philadelphia Flyers are going to be looking a lot different at the forward position in the 2025-26 season. Center Ryan Poehling, effectively the centerpiece of the blockbuster deal from the Flyers' side of things, will need to be replaced. Zegras, who may or may not be a true center at the NHL level, will slot in nicely at the top of the lineup at left wing or down the middle. Advertisement But, the 24-year-old former No. 11 pick won't be replacing Poehling's defensive and penalty killing impacts and has a career-high single-season faceoff percentage of only 41.4%. The latter is not the worst you'll find - Jack Hughes has a career success rate of 38% - but it won't be conducive to success in a defensive role of any real importance. Instead, that will be left to longer-tenured Flyers, such as Sean Couturier and Noah Cates. And even with Cates, his faceoff percentage last season was 44.6%. In short, the Flyers have created more offensive opportunity with the addition of Zegras at the cost of penalty killing and, in some cases, puck possession via faceoffs. Let's take a peek at what this will look like on paper ahead of the 2025 NHL Draft and the start of free agency: Travis Konecny - Sean Couturier - Matvei Michkov Advertisement Jakob Pelletier - Trevor Zegras - Owen Tippett Tyson Foerster - Noah Cates - Bobby Brink Nick Deslauriers - Rodrigo Abols - Garnet Hathaway In this forward group, we make a few assumptions. The most notable is that new Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet keeps Couturier, Travis Konecny, and Matvei Michkov together. Flyers Trade for Trevor Zegras: Trade Grade, Immediate Outlook Flyers Trade for Trevor Zegras: Trade Grade, Immediate Outlook The first big deal of the 2025 NHL offseason saw the Philadelphia Flyers trade center Ryan Poehling, the 45th pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, and a fourth-round pick to the Anaheim Ducks for forward Trevor Zegras. Defense was a major pain point with them, as they surrendered 3.15 expected goals against per 60 minutes, per Moneypuck, but they also created 4.59 expected goals per 60 minutes, which trailed only lines of Zach Hyman, Connor McDavid, and Leon Draisaitl; Brandon Hagel, Anthony Cirelli, and Nikita Kucherov, and Jordan Martinook, Jordan Staal, and William Carrier. Advertisement On the other hand, those 3.15 expected goals against ranked fifth-worst in the league amongst lines with at least 230 minutes together. The next assumption, of course, is that Jakob Pelletier re-signs with the Flyers and plays a somewhat featured role in the middle-six. In Vancouver, Tocchet was fond of a similar undersized spark plug forward with some offensive skill in Nils Hoglander. Paired with Owen Tippett for 105 minutes of 5-on-5 action, Pelletier and Tippett out-scored opponents 5-3 while owning 52% of the shot attempts and a staggering 64.66% of the expected goals, per Natural Stat Trick. Advertisement Scoring chances were 45-25 for the Flyers with them on the ice, and high-danger scoring chances were 20-12. All five of the Flyers goals scored with Tippett and Pelletier on the ice were high-danger goals. This was a small end-of-season sample size, to be clear, but Pelletier and Tippett are two unrelenting forecheckers with decent speed and offensive skill. When you replace Poehling on that line with Zegras, as the Flyers have effectively done, the forward lineup has so much more flexibility and potential. The elite performance of the checking line that is Cates, Tyson Foerster, and Bobby Brink is duly noted, and they should remain together for the foreseeable future. The fourth line of Nick Deslauriers, Rodrigo Abols, and Garnet Hathaway could use a lot of work, but this is what the Flyers are working with at the time of the Zegras trade. Prospect Karsen Dorwart could make a case for a roster spot, but it's likely to assume the Flyers turn to a veteran in Abols to start.
CBS News
29-06-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Anaheim Ducks trade Trevor Zegras to Philadelphia Flyers for Ryan Poehling and draft picks
The Anaheim Ducks traded Trevor Zegras to the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday, ending the exciting forward's inconsistent half-decade in Orange County. The Ducks get forward Ryan Poehling and the 45th overall pick in the upcoming draft that initially belonged to Columbus, along with a fourth-round pick next season. Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek said he dealt away the Ducks' charismatic former leading scorer in part because Zegras no longer fit the Ducks' roster as they attempt to end their seven-year playoff drought. "You start imagining lines and how you want certain players to complement each other," Verbeek said. "We started looking at that scenario, so ultimately we made the decision to move Trevor because of that." Zegras is a natural center who wants to be a playmaker in the middle, but rising stars Leo Carlsson and Mason McTavish have earned those spots on Anaheim's top two lines, which has forced Zegras to play left wing or to center a depth line. The Ducks also recently acquired longtime Rangers forward Chris Kreider, who works out with Zegras in the summer, to play left wing on one of their top two lines. "I think he'll be given that opportunity in Philadelphia to play center," Verbeek said. "He's more creative in the middle of the ice and (not) having to play from the wing. We're fortunate that there's Leo and there's Mason, (but) Trevor has to kind of get pushed to the wing, and that probably doesn't suit his best attributes." Verbeek also acknowledged the financial realities of the deal. Zegras will be a restricted free agent next summer, when the Ducks also will need to re-sign Carlsson, promising forward Cutter Gauthier and talented young defensemen Jackson LaCombe, Pavel Mintyukov and Olen Zellweger. The big, speedy Poehling will become a key contributor on the Ducks' awful special teams, Verbeek predicted. Poehling was one of the Flyers' top penalty-killing forwards last season while scoring 31 points — just one fewer than Zegras. Verbeek still realizes his decision will rankle some Ducks supporters who won't be happy to lose the most interesting player on a few terrible Anaheim teams in recent years. Zegras remained a fan favorite at Honda Center throughout his tenure with the Ducks, who hired coach Joel Quenneville last month with the stated goal to return to the playoffs next spring. Zegras was the Ducks' first-round pick in 2019, and he had two 60-point seasons early in his NHL career. He finished as the runner-up to Detroit's Moritz Seider in 2022 for the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie. Zegras also became well known outside Anaheim for his proficiency with the Michigan goal, in which a player lifts the puck with his stick blade and wraps it into the net from behind. But the 24-year-old Zegras struggled with injuries and consistency for the past two seasons, scoring just 47 points in 88 combined games. He had 12 goals and 20 assists in 57 games last season, increasing his production at midseason after a slow start and a 22-game absence with a knee injury. Zegras' commitment to defense was also widely questioned in Anaheim, although he appeared to make significant strides on that end of the ice last season. Zegras has been a frequent topic of loud trade rumors for the past two seasons, although Verbeek claimed Monday that "there was never really anything talked about in the past as far as Trevor." The Flyers made another major deal with the Ducks in January 2024, with GM Danny Briere sending the disgruntled Gauthier to Anaheim for defenseman Jamie Drysdale, Zegras' longtime friend. Both Zegras and Drysdale were drafted in the first round by the Ducks before Verbeek took over the front office. Gauthier had a strong rookie season for Anaheim with 20 goals and 24 assists, while Drysdale scored 20 points with a minus-32 rating last season for the Flyers. Philadelphia also has a new coach for the upcoming season with the hiring of Rick Tocchet. Poehling had 12 goals and 19 assists in 68 games as a depth forward for Philadelphia last season. After starting his career in Montreal and getting traded to Pittsburgh for the 2022-23 season, he signed with the Flyers as a free agent and produced the best two offensive seasons of his career.
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Report: Ducks trade former BU star center to Eastern Conference team
Trevor Zegras will get a fresh start in the 2025-26 season. The Anaheim Ducks have a trade in place to send their star center to the Philadelphia Flyers for Ryan Poehling, the 45th pick in this year's NHL draft and a fourth-round pick in 2025, SportsNet's Elliotte Friedman reported. Advertisement The NHL insider reported earlier Monday that the Ducks were in deep discussions with several teams. Zegras, who played one season at Boston University, has one year and $5.75 million left on his contract. He's set to become a restricted free agent after the 2025-26 season. The 21-year-old reached the 60-point mark in 2021-22 and 2022-23, but the last two seasons have been derailed by injury. Zegras played in just 31 games in 2023-24 and 57 games this past season. The ninth pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, Zegras brought offensive excitement to a rebuilding Anaheim team and often scored highlight-reel goals including several 'Michigan goal.' Advertisement The Flyers finished the 2024-25 campaign with a 33-39-10 record and finished last in the Metropolitan Division. More Bruins content Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Flyers set to acquire Trevor Zegras in trade with Ducks
The post Flyers set to acquire Trevor Zegras in trade with Ducks appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Philadelphia Flyers missed out on the playoffs by a wide margin this season, but they are now making big moves to ensure that doesn't happen again in 2025-26. On Monday, the Flyers made a huge move to acquire star forward Trevor Zegras from the Anaheim Ducks in a blockbuster trade, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Advertisement In return, the Ducks will get center Ryan Poehling and a pair of draft picks, including the 45th overall pick in this summer's draft. Zegras is an extremely talented offensive player when he is healthy and will immediately give the Flyers some punch on that end of the ice. Injuries have cut each of his last two seasons short, but he recorded 186 points in 268 career games in Anaheim. A change of scenery could do some good for Zegras, who has not been on a competitive team during his career. He has never played in a playoff game, and while the Flyers were also far away from postseason status a year ago, moves like this one show that they are committed to building a winner and a contender in the near future. Zegras helps the outlook of the Flyers in the present, but he also should be around for the future as well. The former top 10 pick is just 24 years old, so he still has plenty of time to improve and is not yet in the prime of his career. Advertisement The next step after this move is getting Zegras locked up in Philadelphia with a new contract extension for a long time. He is under contract next season on a $5.75 million bargain, but is slated to be a restricted free agent next summer. After making such a big swing to get him in the building, getting a new deal done with Zegras will certainly be priority No. 1 for the Flyers. If they can get that done, this has a chance to be a home run deal for Philadelphia. Zegras comes with his injury concerns, but he has a chance to develop into an elite offensive player that can anchor this Flyers squad into the future. Related: Trevor Zegras trade grades for Flyers, Ducks Related: 4 best trade destinations for Ducks' John Gibson
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Trevor Zegras trade grades for Flyers, Ducks
The post Trevor Zegras trade grades for Flyers, Ducks appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Philadelphia Flyers and Anaheim Ducks connected on a trade involving Trevor Zegras on Monday. After a lot of rumors swirling around Zegras for the past year, his time with Anaheim has come to an end. He lands with Rick Tocchet and the Flyers, who gave up a second-rounder, a fourth-rounder, and Ryan Poehling. How did both sides fare in the deal? Advertisement The Flyers took on Zegras at his full contract value. He has one year left at $5.75 million and will be a restricted free agent at the end of the deal. They gave the Ducks the 45th overall pick in Saturday's second round with a fourth-round pick in the 2026 draft. Poehling has one year left at $1.9 million before he hits unrestricted free agency. The Flyers pay a price to land a high-upside player Sergei Belski-Imagn Images There is no denying that Zegras has incredible skill. He has some incredible highlight reel goals and assists in his young career, and landed on the cover of the EA Sports video game because of it. But he has struggled playing center in all three zones, something that is a mandate as a top-six center in the NHL. The Athletic's Kevin Kurz reported after the deal that the Flyers do expect him to play center. That is a high-reward gamble that they gave up a lot to make. Advertisement Zegras had two stellar seasons with the Ducks, 61 points in 2021-22 and 65 points in 2022-23. He was just 20 and 21 years old, respectively, when he had those seasons. Since then, it's been a significant drop-off, partially due to injuries. A fresh start may be exactly what he needs to bring the Flyers back to the postseason. If Zegras and Rick Tocchet see eye-to-eye, and he ascends to a point-per-game player, this is a great deal. If he continues his trivial NHL career, they gave up a lot, but not so much that it sets back their franchise. For a team floating in space, talent is a good bet. Flyers grade: B+ The Ducks end the Trevor Zegras experiment The Ducks won the Pacific Division in five straight seasons and made six straight postseason appearances from 2013-2018. That core did not win the Stanley Cup, and it was torn down in favor of a rebuild. In 2019, they took Zegras ninth overall as the second big piece of that rebuild. Now, he is gone, and the Ducks have not gotten any closer to the postseason. With Joel Quenneville and Pat Verbeek leading the show, there is reason to be optimistic about the future. But their first attempt at a rebuild was an epic failure. Advertisement That is not the fault of Zegras. He dealt with injuries, was not given elite linemates to play with, and the rest of the team was abysmal. Mason McTavish, Cutter Gauthier, and Pavel Mintyukov will now headline the second attempt at rebuilding to make the playoffs. Quenneville won three Stanley Cups with the Chicago Blackhawks, so he should be able to get the most out of this group. Poehling is a defensive, bottom-six player. He is also young and cheap against the salary cap. That is exactly what the Ducks needed this offseason, not another overpaid veteran to go along with Chris Kreider, Jacob Trouba, and Alex Killorn. Poehling helps them save money to spend in free agency. And the Ducks don't have to negotiate a new contract with Zegras, which would have taken away their opportunity to sign more players this offseason. Ducks grade: B- Related: Flyers set to acquire Trevor Zegras in trade with Ducks Related: 4 best trade destinations for Ducks' John Gibson
