Analyzing Trevor Zegras’ potential new linemates with Flyers

Well, Daniel Briere has made his first move.

The Flyers have acquired 24-year old forward Trevor Zegras from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Ryan Poehling, a 2025 2nd-round pick (45th overall), and a 2026 4th-round pick. Zegras is in the last year of a contract that pays him 5.75 million annually, and will be an RFA in 2026-27.

The Flyers bought low on skill, and get a guy who was once viewed, not long ago, as a future star in the league. Now maybe he won\'t get all the way there now, but there is still a very good chance that he could rediscover the scoring touch from his rookie or sophmore seasons, where he broke 60 points in both.

But the question remains as the dust settles, where is he going to play? It seems as if the Flyers seem keen to give him a shot to play some time at center, at least to start, so the task for now is to find some wingers that will best suit Zegras\' playstyle and try to get him out of this extended lull in production.

How about Foerster-Zegras-Brink instead?

Tyson Foerster and Bobby Brink combined with Noah Cates to create what was probably the Flyers most consistently effective line of last season. Consistently punching above their weight class and competing with the rest of the league’s top-six units. Foerster-Cates-Brink created 58.3% of the expected goal share in their 62 games together, and despite not always having the greatest offensive output, they always seemed to make it work. Their dogged work and effort on the cycle made up for whatever they lacked in high-end skill, and they were far and away the best Flyers line to have played over 150 minutes together.

Breaking up what was your most effective line last season is not usually a very wise move, especially for a team that struggled to find real combinations that worked week-over-week. But I think there’s an argument to be made that we have already seen the peak of the Foerster-Cates-Brink trio, and a lot of their success was derived from a sort of element of surprise, with opposing teams more worried about the Konecny and Michkov’s of the world. You can always keep this trio in mind if you need to go back to it, but for it to truly become a top-six caliber unit in the future, there needs to be a bit more dependable offense, which Zegras can provide. He is going to get his chance to play center in Philadelphia, so if he was to supplant anyone from this trio, it would more than likely be Cates, to begin with.

And while Cates was a steady hand through the middle who played some really exceptional defense, he just doesn’t currently have that extra offensive gear that would make him a lock as a top-six center. Relegating him to a third line role just makes sense in a long-term outlook. Foerster and Brink, on the other hand, have exhibited the requisite offensive skills at a young enough age to deserve a promotion into the top-six.

Cates could settle into a bottom-six role, supplemented with penalty kill time and some more defensive minutes, while Zegras would get a chance to play alongside a really creative playmaker in Brink, as well as one of the best budding defensive wingers in the NHL, Tyson Foerster.

While the Foerster-Cates-Brink line was great, it still lacked that high-end skill component that would allow them to take advantage of the zone time they generated. Zegras can bring that when he is at his best; his puck skills are top-notch, and his release is lightning quick. Having a player that is comfortable holding the puck and is able to distribute it at a high level makes the jobs of Brink and Foerster a lot easier. His mesmerizing hands bring another dimension to the line, and there’s a chance that if Zegras can play a bit more dedicated two-way game, that this unit could really compete with the best of the best.

Tippett and Zegras: a match made in heaven?

It’s not entirely clear who will exactly make up the Flyers forward corps, as names like Jett Luchanko and Nikita Grebenkin look poised to compete for roster spots at camp, and it’s unclear who exactly will be a part of the opening night lineup. But it’s hard to look at the Flyers current roster locks after the Zegras acquisition, and not group him together with Owen Tippett.

Tippett is a natural born sniper, possessing a powerful wrist shot to go alongside some serious afterburners, and it is tantalizing to imagine him connecting with Zegras on the offensive end. At their best, this pairing would both play with immense pace, and complete plays at a speed that is problematic for defenders. Zegras would find joy in springing Tippett for stretch passes, or dropping it off to him for a heavy one-timer in the offensive zone. They both have flamboyant, firewagon abilities that can excite fans on command, and if nothing else, putting these two on a line together would definitely make for some fun highlights.

Completing the trio?

The third name on this hypothetical line has a few different options, whether it be Jakob Pelletier getting a shot with some more talented linemates than he had last season, or a surprise name out of camp like a Nikita Grebenkin. Ideally, you’d want a bigger body to join Zegras and Tippett, or maybe even a Foerster-lite type who could play a bit more of a two-way game. But there isn’t exactly an obvious fit on the roster right now.

There’s a very good chance that the player who plays alongside Zegras isn’t even on the roster. Free agent names like Pius Suter; a solid middle-six forward with some offensive upside, could make sense as a short-term value play on a player already familiar with Coach Tocchet. Maybe a name like Anthony Mantha could be of interest, as a big winger with some scoring pedigree to really round out what would be a very dangerous offensive line, in theory.

And, as the draft nears closer, one particular name that may be available at the Flyers coveted number six pick might actually fit perfectly around Zegras for the long term, that being the hulking Brampton Steelheads winger, Porter Martone.

Martone is a 6’3 205 pound winger with a dynamic set of hands and a dogged work rate. At his size, you would think Martone would profile more as a power forward, but in reality, he has shaped himself into more of a dynamic playmaker with size, and the willingness to get to the front of the net and clean up rebounds. His vision is elite, and he has been on either side of some great passing sequences numerous times throughout his draft year.

Pairing this heavier, more intense build with a guy like Zegras would unlock something new that the latter hasn’t really seen in his NHL career, especially when his most frequent linemates were smaller skill guys like Sonny Milano and Troy Terry for much of his Anaheim tenure. But at the same time, Martone can keep up with the pace Zegras plays with, and it wouldn’t be something unnatural to him.

It’s still likely that the Flyers take a center at six, but, food for thought nonetheless in a conversation that will have no real slam dunk answer until training camp, at the earliest.

Analyzing Zegras’ new potential linemates

Talking Points