The intention to improve the Flyers’ talent at center began on Monday with the acquistion of Anaheim’s Trevor Zegras in a trade for Philadelphia’s Ryan Poehling.
In addition to Poehling, the Flyers also sent the 45th pick in this year’s NHL Draft and a fourth-round pick next year to the Ducks, according to Flyers general manager Daniel Briere.
Zegras, 24, was drafted by the Ducks in 2019, ninth overall, and has gone on to play the last five seasons (2020-25) with the Ducks.
The 6-foot, 185-pound Zegras has recorded 67 goals, 119 assists, and 186 points in 268 career NHL games.
Of immediate concern: Whether Zegras can remain healthy. He played in just 88 games over the past two seasons. Among the issues: A serious groin injury plus a broken ankle requiring surgery in the 2023-24 season, and a torn meniscus in his right knee last season.
Also, Zegras was a contract holdout during the 2023-24 training camp which delayed his season start.
Zegras was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team in 2022 and had back-to-back 23-goal/60-plus point seasons in 2021-22 and 2022-23. During the 2022-23 season, Zegras led the Ducks in points (65), goals, game-winning-goals (three), and overtime goals.
He played only 57 regular-season games this past season but still managed to post 12 goals/32 points. He had the fifth-best point per game average on the team at 0.56 and the ninth most points.
Prior to making the NHL full time Zegras, played part of the 2020-21 season with the San Diego Gulls of the American Hockey League where he registered 10 goals/21 points in 17 regular season games while adding another three playoff games and three points (one goal/three points). After being drafted, he spent the 2019-20 season at Boston University where he tallied more than a point per game – 11 goals/36 points in 33 games.
The Bedford, N.Y. native has represented the United States on five occasions, most recently at the 2024 World Championships where he tallied one goal and one assist in eight games.
Notably, Zegras also played in the back-to-back World Junior Championships in 2020 and 2021. In 2021 he helped the United States to win gold and was named the tournament’s most valuable player after registering seven goals and 18 points in seven games.
Poehling, 26, spent two seasons with the Flyers. He played 145 games, with 23 goals/59 points. This past season he set a career high with 12 goals in 68 games.
Originally a first-round draft pick of Montreal (25th overall, 2017), Poehling also played one season for Pittsburgh. The Minnesota native has 43 NHL goals.
The Flyers now have three remaining second-round picks for this year’s draft: Nos. 36, 40 and 48.
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