Last season, the Philadelphia Flyers took a huge jump, and this summer, they had plenty of work to do if they wanted to keep up with the growing list of contenders in the highly competitive Eastern Conference, with the team still having some holes on their roster if they want to take a step towards being genuine Stanley Cup contenders.
Early in the off-season, they took a huge risk, signing Leo Carlsson to a five-year, $18 million AAV offer sheet, but after the Anaheim Ducks matched the offer, they were left empty handed, still trying to find their 1C, not only of the present, but of the future as well. Thankfully, this is an organization that still have plenty of talent, but with several RFA’s needing big new deals, they’re set to announce a long-term extension for one of their best young players.
Trevor Zegras Signs Massive Four-Year Contract Extension
GettyTrevor Zegras of the Philadelphia Flyers.
That player would be Trevor Zegras, whom the Flyers acquired from those exact Ducks last summer, and after bouncing back in his first season in Philadelphia, he’s signed a four-year deal to remain with the team long-term, according to ESPN’s Emily Kaplan.
That came after the Flyers teased an announcement of sorts on social media, with Kaplan then reporting an average annual value of $9.125 million, and while that may have seemed like a lot of money in recent years, given that he’s just over 50% of Carlsson’s recent offer sheet, it’s safe to say that this is fantastic value for Philadelphia.
Can Trevor Zegras be the Flyers No. 1 Center?
After the past few years in Anaheim saw Zegras’ value decline season after season, Zegras bounced back in his first year with the Flyers, posting a career high of 67 points with 26 goals in 81 games played. On top of that, Zegras’ two-way game developed more than it ever did in Anaheim, and now, not only are the Ducks paying their 1C a record high $18 million per season, a former draft pick that they developed into a star is being paid almost half of that amount for the next four seasons.
While many don’t see the 25-year-old as a long-term option for the Flyers up front, when he was given the chance last year, Zegras was dominant at times and very productive, and with wingers like Porter Martone, Owen Tippett and Tyson Foerster around him, there’s plenty of talent that will allow the highly skilled center an opportunity to thrive for a Stanley Cup Playoffs contender moving forward.
Just a few years ago, this could have been seen as an overpay for a player of Zegras’ caliber, but with the combination of his 2025/26 bounce back campaign and the massive contract handed out to Carlsson, this is a good deal that will help the Flyers continue to build their roster down the middle as they put together what they believe can be a contending roster.
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