A Trevor Zegras Extension Should Be On The Waiting List For Flyers

When Philadelphia Flyers General Manager Danny Brière sent Ryan Poehling and two draft picks to Anaheim last June, the hockey world viewed it as a gamble. Trevor Zegras was coming off back-to-back difficult seasons in Orange County, his defensive metrics were questioned, and his “showtime” style seemed at odds with the grit-first mentality of a John Tortorella team.

Fast forward 27 games into the 2025-26 campaign, and that gamble looks like a masterstroke. Zegras leads the team with 26 points, the power play is clicking, and the Flyers are in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff hunt. Naturally, the noise surrounding a long-term contract extension has started to amplify. With Zegras set to become a Restricted Free Agent (RFA) this summer, the urge to lock him down immediately is understandable.

However, despite the early returns, the smartest move for the Flyers front office right now is to do exactly what they have been doing: wait.

Assessing the Small Sample Size

There is no denying that Trevor Zegras has landed on his feet in Philadelphia. Leading the roster in scoring and shooting 68% in shootouts (No. 1 all-time among players with at least 15 attempts) is impressive. He has developed genuine chemistry with head coach Rick Tocchet, affectionately nicknamed “Taco,” and is showing a commitment to the defensive side of the puck that was virtually nonexistent during his final days with the Ducks.

But 27 games do not make a career, nor do they erase the inconsistency of the previous two seasons. We are currently in the “honeymoon phase. “Trevor Zegras is playing with the adrenaline of a fresh start and the motivation of proving his critics wrong. The Flyers need to see how he responds when the grind of the post-All-Star break hits, or when the scoring dries up for a week or two. Handing out an eight-year deal based on a spectacular quarter-season is how teams get into salary cap trouble. The Flyers need to know if this version of Zegras is the rule or the exception.

The Hybrid Role and Valuation Difficulty

One of the biggest complications in negotiating an extension right now is defining exactly what Trevor Zegras is. Is he a franchise center, or is he a dynamic winger?

Currently, the Flyers are deploying him in a hybrid role. While he is listed as a center, he spends significant time on the wing, particularly with Christian Dvorak taking many of the high-leverage defensive zone draws. This setup frees Trevor Zegras to focus on offense and forechecking without the burden of being the first man back every shift.

This distinction matters immensely at the negotiating table. Top-line centers command a significantly higher Average Annual Value (AAV) than top-line wingers. If the Flyers pay Trevor Zegras like a 1C—looking at comparables like Dylan Cozens ($7.1M AAV) or pushing toward the $8.5M-$9M range—but he ultimately settles in as a winger who needs a defensive center to shelter him, the valuation becomes skewed. Waiting until the end of the season gives the organization more data to determine his true long-term position and the appropriate price tag attached to it.