Ladies and gentlemen, we have a trade! Flyers general manager Danny Briere is kicking off the club’s off-season with a sizable addition to their forward group.
You know that old baseball adage, “swing away?” Where the batter is told by the base coaches to swing at any pitch within the strike zone to put the ball in play for a hit? Well, it appears Danny Briere is being given the green light to do just that here.
News broke early Monday afternoon that the Flyers will be trading for center/wing Trevor Zegras from Anaheim for forward Ryan Poehling, a 2025 2nd round pick (No. 45) and a fourth round pick in the 2026 draft.
Roll the Dice
This is an incredibly digestible deal for the Flyers.
Poehling, while a good foot solider, is a bottom six type of player and with the amount of draft picks Philadelphia has collected the last few seasons (six picks in the top 50 picks in the 2025 draft), it only made sense that they would look to use some of that capital to find additions that could help the team THIS season.
When it comes to Zegras, the 24-year-old still possesses the same tantalizing skill-set that made him a top 10-pick in the 2019 draft. He’s supremely confident with the puck and can equally distribute it or finish off scoring plays himself. His creativity with the puck should give the Flyers a jolt offensively. It’s exciting to think about the possibility of pairing a talent like this with Travis Konecny and an equally dynamic Matvei Michkov.
This, of course, begs the question; why would the Ducks want part with him then?
Tough Luck
Zegras has dealt with some unfortunate luck with injuries in recent seasons. Most notably, he torn his meniscus in his right knee this past December. This is basically what limited him to just 57 games in 2024-2025. Moreover, he’s dealt with groin and ankle ailments the season before as well.
However, prior to his injuries, Zegras was on a clear path to becoming one of the more fun, electrifying talents in the league. In 2022 and 2023, the Bedford, New York native registered back to back 60 point seasons. In each campaign, he scored 23 goals and collected a flurry of assists. If healthy, I see no reason to believe he cannot return to this form and potentially, be even better than that in time.
Additionally, much has been made of Zegras’ lack of detail in the defensive zone. However, according to Crash the Pond’s Felix Sicard, his play without the puck has improved greatly in recent seasons. He is not a finished product yet by any means, but there’s quite a player here if he can put it all together.
Then Factor in the acquisition cost? I’d qualify this as low-risk and high-reward gamble if I’ve ever seen one.
Change of Plans?
The NHL draft is this weekend and the Flyers are still armed to the teeth with assets. Briere may very well be looking to add more to this group over the next few days. If this trade is any indication, Flyers fans could be in for a fun summer.
