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Trevor Zegras Trade Grades: Rising Star Lands In Philly
Trevor Zegras Trade Grades: Rising Star Lands In Philly
Trevor Zegras is on the move after what felt like years of speculation. The talented forward will suit up for the Philadelphia Flyers next season. This move comes 17 months after the Flyers and Ducks linked up for the infamous Cutter Gauthier trade. Many felt that Gauthier and Zegras were close, but obviously Pat Verbeek wanted to go in a different direction.
As he enters the last year of his bridge deal before being an RFA, the market value here would not be sky high. Elliotte Friedman recently posted out the return that Anaheim will receive:
Poehling is a two-way center and has one year remaining on a $1.7 million cap hit. He should slot in Anaheim’s bottom-six as a defensive piece. If nothing else, he’ll probably be a nice piece for them to sell off at next year’s deadline:
Zegras, while supremely talented, has yet to put it all together for a full NHL season. Despite this, his scoring clip over his career still paces him as nearly a 60-point player. It’s clear Danny Briere is banking on a change of scenery to unlock his potential, and was not afraid to pay the price tag that the Ducks had in mind:
You’ve heard enough out of me. Now it’s time for some trade grades.
Philadelphia Flyers: B+
It’s hard not to like this deal from a Flyers perspective. Getting a guy who’s from the East coast, would probably want to play closer to home, and has real top-line talent ticks a lot of boxes for them. No matter where in the top six he plays, he will have more established NHL talent alongside him like Travis Konecny, Owen Tippet, and the ascending Matvei Michkov. Even though it feels like he’s been in the league for a while, he is still only 24. His age profile fits the timeline of this team, and he absolutely has the tools to be an electrifying player for years to come.
Furthermore, it’s not the end of the world if things don’t work out. It honestly feels like they paid a discount for him on that trade. A second this year, fourth next year, and a guy who probably would not come back once his deal expires. It’s honestly surprising to me that more teams were not involved or even wanted to beat this offer. They can also cut ties pretty easily if he can’t figure it out in Philly. Whether it’s before the 2026 deadline or next offseason with his RFA rights. He will also get reunited with his buddy Jamie Drysdale. Well done, Danny Briere.
Anaheim Ducks: C-
How do you settle for this small of a return? I get that his value is not massive given injuries, his contract, and some potential character issues. However, he can still be a first-line player in the NHL. Maybe no teams wanted to give up more than what the Flyers offered, it’s possible. But it is still an underwhelming return for a guy that is so talented. If nothing else, it opens up even more cap space for Verbeek and the Ducks to weaponize in free agency.
Does this trade make landing Mitch Marner even more crucial? I don’t think so. Even if they make the biggest offer of any team, I don’t think he takes it. However, a plan B of going for the middle-tier free agents makes more sense. You can inject talent that is better than Zegras in the present. However, I gave them this grade because they pretty clearly lost this trade on a value standpoint and they haven’t signed anyone yet.
Trevor Zegras has an interesting fit in Philly. However, what’s a guarantee is that both of these teams are far from done this Summer.
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