For a club looking for talented players and a comfortable salary room, the bet to acquire Trevor Zegras is interesting.
Daniel Brière paid second and fourth round choices, and a support center, Ryan Poehling, to get Trevor Zegras, still recently considered a rising show in the NHL.
Zegras, 24, ninth choice in total by the Ducks of Anaheim in 2019, nevertheless started his career, with seasons of 61 and 65 points between 2021 and 2023. But the last two years, marked by injuries, were difficult: 15 points in 31 games in 2023-2024 and 32 points in 57 games last year.
We criticized the work ethic of young man and even transferred him from the center to the wing in recent seasons. He had been unthinkable, barely two years ago, to imagine such a low return for his services.
The Ducks no longer believed in him. We release 5.75 million on the payroll next year, the last year of its contract, before its autonomy with compensation, and we obtain a rough center, Ryan Poehling, 26, also at his last year of contract, but at 1.9 million annually. The latter becomes a independent player without compensation from July 2026.
Anaheim is full of gifted attackers, Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Mason MCTAVISH, soon Beckett Sennecke, third choice in total in 2024, but the DG Pat Verbeek probably wants to surround them with strong players. The arrival of the veteran Chris Kreider, obtained last week, confirms this will.
PHOTO NICK WASS, ARCHIVES ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ryan Poehling
Poehling still raised 31 points in 68 games, with a time of use of 13: 53 last year, sometimes on the third trio, sometimes the fourth.
The Flyers lost Gauthier, their first choice of 2022, fifth in total, because it did not want to get along with the team. An often injured and vulnerable defender was obtained, Jamie Drysdale.
The first choice of 2023, Matvei Michkov, brings hope, with a first season of 63 points, including 26 goals last year, but it is rather alone.
The amazing season of the Flyers made them go back during the 2024 cuvée. They found themselves, at 13e Rang, with a responsible center, Jett Luchanko, but whose ceiling, at best, could allow it to aspire to a second trio center station, but still.
Otherwise, two other first -round choices, Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee, which we hoped for results for a few years, were exchanged last winter in Calgary for a very modest return. Jakob Pelletier is not an ugly training player, and we used a surplus of second round choice to acquire Zegras. However, we sold that of Columbus, and not Calgary obtained in the transaction for Frost and Farabee, to acquire Zegras. There are three left at Flyers in 2025.
Daniel Brière wants to develop a culture where rigor, work ethics and resilience will be there. It was never the prerogative of Zegras. It will be necessary to count on Rick Tocchet to put the young man on the right path. A transaction sometimes allows a boy to restart his career, after taking the shock to go to a new club. Pride can take a blow by noting such a low return for its services.
Zegras ended the season well, with 11 points to his last 14 games in Anaheim. He raised only 4 points to his first 17 meetings, 28 to his last 40.
At this price, clearly, Zegras did not interest the Canadian.
