Trevor Zegras just earned the biggest average annual value contract in Philadelphia Flyers history, signing a four-year, $36.5 million extension on Wednesday night. This massive deal comes after an incredible first season in the City of Brotherly Love, where Zegras, still on the final year of a three-year, $17.25 million deal, lit it up with career highs in goals (26) and points (67). The dude wasn’t just a regular season phenom either, chipping in six points (two goals, four assists) in his first 10 career playoff games. Danny Briere’s move on June 23, 2025, to bring him in? Absolutely paid off.
From Hybrid to True Center
Here’s the kicker, though: Zegras, a 25-year-old *forward*, showed potential to be the first-line center the Flyers need, even if he’s not hitting McDavid or MacKinnon levels of franchise-changing impact. He’s not gonna be a Hart Trophy candidate every year, but out of 32 teams, there are 32 first-line centers, right? Zegras is absolutely in that mix. Last season, those 26 goals put him 34th among NHL centers, and his 67 points tied him with guys like Dylan Larkin and Leo Carlsson. Keep in mind, he only started playing center for the latter part of the season after a slow roll-out. If you look at all forwards, he still tied for 65th in goals and 52nd in points. That’s solid!
What’s Next for Zegras?
His production is only gonna climb if he’s cemented as a true center. He kicked off last season in a bit of a hybrid role, basically in a three-legged race with Christian Dvorak for most of his shifts. Natural Stat Trick data shows Zegras played 609:33 with Dvorak at 5-on-5, with a 50.05% expected goals for. But when he was without Dvorak? That jumped to 57.76% xGF over 564:45. Initially, coach Rick Tocchet and the Flyers were a little unsure about his two-way game and how he’d fit the system, so they wisely paired the youngster with a trusted veteran. It clearly worked out, with Zegras bagging 12 points in his first 10 October games and hitting 26 points (10 goals, 16 assists) through December 3. With this huge contract now inked, the stage is set for Zegras to truly own that center spot and prove he’s worth every single penny. It’ll be exciting to watch him dominate for the next few years!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
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