The US National U18 team has a lot of really good prospects this year with the likes of Jack Hughes and Cole Caufield leading the way. Another really good prospect is the Bedford, NY native Trevor Zegras, who is projected to go early in the first round. Lets have a look and see if he could be someone the Flyers might have interest in for this upcoming draft.
BSH 2019 Draft Profile: Trevor Zegras
Position/Team: C/W / US National U18 Team (Boston University commit)
2018-19 Statistics: 26 G 61 A, in 60 GP
Size: 6’0” 174 lbs
Pre-draft rankings
#10 ISS hockey
#8 Bob McKenzie
What’s there to like?
Where to start? Zegras is, first of all, a two-way forward with terrific skating ability. His mobility helps him dictate the play and his first step or two really sets him apart from other players. He loves to get under the skin of the opponents, and while he is mainly a playmaker, he has great hand-eye coordination and he is dangerous with deflections around the net — great hockey IQ.
Zegras takes pride in his defensive play and he uses the great speed of his to back-check and position himself where he is needed. He reads the plays really well and uses his active stick to create turnovers for counter-attacks. He has that ability to “always be on the right side of the puck”. He also relies on his smarts and speed all over the ice which always makes him a threat.
What’s not to like?
Zegras is a very well-rounded player who has the tools to become a very good NHL player, but he may need a year or two at Boston University to continue to work on his game and bulk up. He can be a perimeter player in the offensive zone at times, which is something that might fix itself when he gets stronger.
How would he fit in the Flyers’ system?
Flyers are still working on signing Kevin Hayes to fill the second line center role, and if he signs the Flyers will be pretty stacked at center, especially with Morgan Frost in the pipeline as well. The good thing with Zegras is that he’s very flexible and can also play the wing, which is where he would most likely play if the Flyers drafted him.
Could the Flyers actually get him?
Zegras has been ranked anywhere between fifth and tenth depending on which ranking you check, and while there’s a possibility that he can fall all the way to 11th, I’d be surprised if he actually went outside of the top 10. His skill-set, along with him playing a “pro game” already, will help his chances of being drafted before it’s the Flyers turn to pick.
