Last week, Philadelphia Flyers GM Daniel Briere spoke about the difficulty of acquiring a first- or second-line center.
He noted the likelihood of landing a top-six talent was “almost impossible,” lowering expectations from Flyers fans that Philly’s management would be able to shake the trees and find a pivot to fill a very large hole in the lineup.
However, Briere found that center on Monday when he acquired Trevor Zegras from the Anaheim Ducks. Although the Flyers are betting on Zegras to bounce back after a couple of down years, the cost is a steal and makes the gamble worth it every single time.
In return for Zegras, Philadelphia gave up center Ryan Poehling, the Columbus Blue Jackets’ second-round draft pick (45th overall) and the Flyers’ fourth-round pick in 2026.
Certainly, landing Zegras for that relatively meager price has to be considered a major victory for Briere & Co.
Zegras is a two-time producer of 23 goals and at least 61 points. Although he’s had two rough seasons – generating only six goals and 15 points while appearing in only 31 games in 2023-24, then posting just 12 goals and 32 points in 57 games in 2024-25 – Zegras is still young at 24 years old and under contract for 2025-26 at a $5.75-million cap hit, after which he’ll still be an RFA.
That means the Flyers have just acquired a cost-controlled asset, and if things don’t go well for Zegras in ’25-26, Philadelphia can either walk away from him next summer or negotiate a cheaper prove-it deal. If things do go well, no one will be complaining about signing Zegras to an extension. The Flyers have all sorts of salary cap space – they still have $15.1 million after Monday’s trade – and they now have someone who gets a fresh start.
From our perspective, the Ducks didn’t get all that much for Zegras, but we’ll reserve judgment until we see what Anaheim GM Pat Verbeek does with the cap space he freed up in the deal. But adding Poehling, who set modest career highs of 12 goals and 31 points in 68 games last season, and two draft picks that likely won’t be needle-movers won’t replace Zegras, at least, not in the short term.
Briere has just given him a chance to breathe new life into his NHL career. Zegras is better that any player Philadelphia has at the center position, and while there will be some pressure on him to live up to his cap hit, the reality is he’s going to have a clean slate and the opportunity to help the Flyers push for a wild-card playoff berth in the Eastern Conference.
Zegras is now reunited with former Ducks defenseman Jamie Drysdale, but even after the trade, the Flyers are going to have an uphill battle making the playoffs. Nevertheless, Briere has continued to make smart moves – including the heist that saw him send center Scott Laughton to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for a first-round draft pick and young winger Nikita Grebenkin – and the Zegras move shows he continues to drive a hard bargain as he builds the Flyers up from the ground floor to the ceiling.
Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.