Forward Trevor Zegras became the seventh player selected in the first 10 picks of the 2019 NHL Draft to be traded after the Philadelphia Flyers acquired him Monday.
The Anaheim Ducks, busy already this offseason after acquiring longtime New York Rangers power forward Chris Kreider, dealt the No. 9 overall pick from the 2019 class to beef up their bottom six.
Zegras is a controversial player who has drawn criticism from longtime hockey people for his flashy style. His skill is undeniable, but Zegras has struggled to play a two-way game. At 5-on-5, Anaheim is -18 in goal differential with him on-ice, with his only net-positive season his truncated first season in 2020-21.
In return for Zegras, the Ducks landed a second-round pick in the upcoming NHL Draft (45th overall), the Flyers’ 2026 fourth-round pick and forward Ryan Poehling.
Trade Grade For Anaheim: B-
Anaheim deserves some credit and some blame for how this all went down. It’s undeniable that, at the apex of his value, Zegras was worth much more than what the Ducks got Monday.
Defensive concerns aside, Zegras opened his career with back-to-back 60-point seasons before he turned 22. He is a young American star with off-ice appeal, ultimately leading to him landing EA Sports’ “NHL 23” cover in October 2022. This was a budding potential superstar.
Then things got a little weird. GM Pat Verbeek played hardball with Zegras entering his first contract negotiation. He eventually got Zegras under contract, but he missed almost all of training camp and preseason.
Early on, then-coach Greg Cronin made an immediate example of Zegras multiple times, stapling him to the bench late in games protecting a lead. Zegras himself said after a win over Columbus in 2023, where he didn’t play in the third period or overtime, that the “message had been received” and that “he had to play better.”
Injury issues plagued Zegras over the last two seasons — missing 76 games in two years due to a combination of inflammation, a broken ankle and a torn meniscus that required surgery.
The Ducks spent two years tearing Zegras down in the hopes of transforming him into a complete player. Now, they won’t be on the receiving end of the player Zegras potentially could be if it all comes together.
Still, this is a decent return for the player Zegras is now. Poehling is a 26-year-old journeyman who has developed into a capable bottom-six two-way center who logged sizable minutes on Philadelphia’s penalty kill. The draft capital is reasonable in conjunction with Poehling, who has one year remaining at a cap hit of $1.9 million.
Trade Grade For Philadelphia: A-
The Flyers took an upside swing on a player who already has two 60-point seasons to his name. Whether it’s at center or on the wing, Zegras can provide some offensive firepower at 5-on-5 and on the power play. The Flyers made a bet on talent without giving up any premium assets to do it.
That said, Zegras isn’t really providing the value of a player making $5.7 million per season, considering his improvements defensively never really translated on-ice for Anaheim (-6 at 5-on-5 last season) and his injury history is alarming. If Philadelphia and new head coach Rick Tocchet believe it’s possible to get Zegras back on track both as a player and potentially as a center, it’s worth the risk.
They won’t have a lot of time to make this decision. Zegras will be eligible for unrestricted free agency in July 2027. For the Flyers to make a real investment in this player and believe he’s part of a future that is competitive for the struggling franchise, he needs to be at his best immediately.
