NHL commerce grades: Report playing cards for Zegras to Flyers

Rumor lastly turned actuality Monday with the Anaheim Ducks buying and selling ahead Trevor Zegras to the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Geese moved Zegras, who has lengthy been mentioned as a possible commerce goal, to the Flyers in alternate for ahead Ryan Poehling, a 2025 second-round decide (initially belonging to the Columbus Blue Jackets), and a 2026 fourth-round decide.

What does all of it imply and the way did each entrance workplaces fare on this deal?

Potential is the phrase that is going for use essentially the most to explain this commerce.

It begins with the truth that Zegras provides the Flyers one other top-nine heart along with what they have already got with Sean Couturier and Noah Cates, with the concept that Zegras has the potential to be their top-line heart.

Zegras is a two-time 20-goal scorer who has additionally authored a pair of consecutive 60-point seasons. That probably provides the Flyers, who completed twenty fourth in objectives per recreation, one other participant who can rating whereas creating alternatives for these round him.

At 24, he additionally probably suits throughout the Flyers’ long-term plans. The Flyers had been the NHL’s youngest group in 2024-25, with a median age of 26.09 years, based on Elite Prospects.

Once more, the important thing phrase right here is: Doubtlessly.

Accidents and inconsistencies over the past two seasons created questions as as to whether Zegras might return to turning into the participant who had these consecutive 60-point seasons again in 2021-22 and 2022-23. Moreover, it led to inquiries about whether or not he’d return or surpass these totals whereas remaining the Geese.

Surrounding Zegras with wingers reminiscent of Tyson Foerster, Travis Konecny, Matvei Michkov and/or Owen Tippett might get him again on monitor. In any case, at one level he was one of many league’s breakout stars who appeared like he was going to be one of many future faces of the NHL — he was chosen as the cover athlete for NHL 23, in any case.

Then there’s the added incentive that Zegras is within the ultimate season of a three-year contract value $5.75 million yearly. He’ll stay beneath group management as a restricted free agent for the following two seasons, earlier than turning into an unrestricted free agent on the finish of the 2027-28 season.

Even with taking over Zegras’ wage, it nonetheless leaves the Flyers with $15.141 million in cap house, per PuckPedia.

For all of the questions the Geese confronted about holding on to Zegras, there seemed to be one moderately massive looming query:

Is it prudent to pay a third-line heart greater than $5 million yearly, when there are cheaper choices out there there, and different roster holes to fill?

Leo Carlsson — the No. 2 general decide from 2023 — confirmed he might deal with the calls for of being a full-time, top-line heart. He scored 20 objectives and 45 factors final season, giving the Geese a two-way heart packaged inside a 6-3 and 205-pound body.

Observe that with Mason McTavish, who was the No. 3 general decide in 2021, scoring 22 objectives and a career-high 52 factors in a second-line heart position.

McTavish led the Geese in objectives final season, and completed second in factors; Carlsson was third on the group in factors. Getting that kind of manufacturing out of their high two facilities made Zegras expendable for Anaheim.

Then there are the monetary ramifications. Anaheim is projected to have a little bit greater than $36 million in cap house this season, which seems to be fairly a bit — and it’s — till one seems to be on the future, and the way GM Pat Verbreek should tread fastidiously. Lukas Dostal, Drew Helleson and McTavish are RFAs in want of recent contracts this offseason. These offers will doubtless form what mandatory funds the Geese possess to be lively in unrestricted free company on July 1.

what they might do subsequent offseason, nonetheless, is what made the commerce extra engaging. Zegras was slated to be a part of a six-player RFA class that features Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Pavel Mintyukov, Jackson LaCombe and Olen Zellweger, whereas Jacob Trouba will probably be a UFA then.

That five-player RFA class and Trouba stay in place, so these selections should be made. However as an alternative of getting to fret about what to pay Zegras, they will probably have a a lot cheaper price level to cope with by comparability with Poehling, a 26-year-old who scored 12 objectives and 31 factors in 2024-25. He has one yr remaining on his contract value $1.9 million earlier than he turns into a UFA subsequent summer time.