Could Trevor Zegras Realistically Become a Flyer?

Zegras' name has floated around some Flyers' incoming trade lists.

It's been just about a month (only a month?!) since the headline trade of the season between the Flyers and the Anaheim Ducks, trading Cutter Gauthier for Jamie Drysdale.

There have been plenty of takeaways from that trade—it showed that the Flyers' front office were serious about their culture rebuild and were willing to make ambitious trades to better the team; the young core of the team was where the focus was going to be in the future; John Tortorella didn't hate Kevin Hayes as much as originally thought.

It gave Flyers fans a lot of hope for the future, especially seeing how seamlessly Drysdale seemed to be adjusting to his new team. He was immediately welcomed into the close group of young players that the front office hopes will carry the Flyers to sustained postseason success, and adapted incredibly well into the growing chemistry of his new team.

Social media, however, was busy processing the separation of one of hockey's most endearing bromances—Drysdale and now-former teammate Trevor Zegras. The two, by Zegras' own admission, did everything together. Countless TikTok edits mourned the fact that Drysdale and Zegras would be on opposite sides of the country, and that they didn't get a proper goodbye because of how quickly the trade transpired.

That could change, though.

Although Zegras is currently out for 6-8 weeks due to a broken ankle, his name has popped up in trade conversations for multiple teams, the Flyers being one of them. It was bound to happen, considering his close connection with Drysdale, but Zegras to the Flyers might not be as outlandish as it initially sounds.

Zegras is not only close friends with Drysdale, but also with Flyers defenseman Cam York, as the two were teammates on the United States National Development Team. He also has connections with Joel Farabee, a fellow USNTDP product and upstate New York native, who also played college hockey for Boston University.

Aside from his personal connections to the Flyers, Zegras could be a very useful player. He's a young, high-energy center that could very easily take over for when some of the current older forwards move elsewhere. Turning 23 in March, he fits perfectly into the Flyers' investment in young players, and if he can stay healthy, has the potential to be a face of the franchise.

He's made immense improvements on the defensive side of his game, and has glowing reviews from his teammates about who he is as a player and a person. After the Cutter Gauthier drama, there's never been more emphasis on a player being a good locker room guy—Zegras fits the bill perfectly.

If he were to sign for the Flyers, he could very easily entice other stars to do the same. One of the most recognizable figures to come out of the 2019 NHL Draft class, with a huge social media presence, he could absolutely be a big draw for any young star looking for their next move.

Not to mention how hilarious it would be to have Zegras play under John Tortorella after their notorious skirmish involving Zegras' 'Michigan' goal. (Just to be clear, Tortorella has gone on record saying he doesn't dislike Zegras as an individual.)

So what could Danny Briere offer the Ducks in exchange for Zegras? Thankfully, there are quite a lot of bargaining chips on the table. The Flyers have at least one draft pick in every round of the draft for the next three years, along with a plethora of prospects to offer—valuable pieces to another team in a rebuild. Right now, it looks like the Flyers have identified which prospects they want to make a solid part of their team, making the rest perfect pieces to move around the chessboard to make a trade happen.

On paper, it all works out quite nicely. In practice, it's doubtful that Zegras will be making the move to Philadelphia during this trade window. However, knowing the ambitions and intelligence of this front office, never say never.