Anaheim Ducks send Trevor Zegras to Philadelphia Flyers for Ryan Poehling and draft picks
The Anaheim Ducks traded Trevor Zegras to the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday, ending the exciting forward's inconsistent half-decade in Orange County.
The Ducks get forward Ryan Poehling and the 45th overall pick in the upcoming draft that initially belonged to Columbus, along with a fourth-round pick next season.
Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek said he dealt away the Ducks' charismatic former leading scorer in part because Zegras no longer fit the Ducks' roster as they attempt to end their seven-year playoff drought.
'You start imagining lines and how you want certain players to complement each other,' Verbeek said. 'We started looking at that scenario, so ultimately we made the decision to move Trevor because of that.'
Zegras is a natural centre who wants to be a playmaker in the middle, but rising stars Leo Carlsson and Mason McTavish have earned those spots on Anaheim's top two lines, which has forced Zegras to play left wing or to centre a depth line. The Ducks also recently acquired longtime Rangers forward Chris Kreider, who works out with Zegras in the summer, to play left wing on one of their top two lines.
'I think he'll be given that opportunity in Philadelphia to play center,' Verbeek said. 'He's more creative in the middle of the ice and (not) having to play from the wing. We're fortunate that there's Leo and there's Mason, (but) Trevor has to kind of get pushed to the wing, and that probably doesn't suit his best attributes.'
Verbeek also acknowledged the financial realities of the deal. Zegras will be a restricted free agent next summer, when the Ducks also will need to re-sign Carlsson, promising forward Cutter Gauthier and talented young defencemen Jackson LaCombe, Pavel Mintyukov and Olen Zellweger.
The big, speedy Poehling will become a key contributor on the Ducks' awful special teams, Verbeek predicted. Poehling was one of the Flyers' top penalty-killing forwards last season while scoring 31 points — just one fewer than Zegras.
Verbeek still realizes his decision will rankle some Ducks supporters who won't be happy to lose the most interesting player on a few terrible Anaheim teams in recent years. Zegras remained a fan favorite at Honda Center throughout his tenure with the Ducks, who hired coach Joel Quenneville last month with the stated goal to return to the playoffs next spring.
Zegras was the Ducks' first-round pick in 2019, and he had two 60-point seasons early in his NHL career. He finished as the runner-up to Detroit's Moritz Seider in 2022 for the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie.
Zegras also became well known outside Anaheim for his proficiency with the Michigan goal, in which a player lifts the puck with his stick blade and wraps it into the net from behind.
But the 24-year-old Zegras struggled with injuries and consistency for the past two seasons, scoring just 47 points in 88 combined games. He had 12 goals and 20 assists in 57 games last season, increasing his production at midseason after a slow start and a 22-game absence with a knee injury.
Zegras' commitment to defence was also widely questioned in Anaheim, although he appeared to make significant strides on that end of the ice last season.
Zegras has been a frequent topic of loud trade rumours for the past two seasons, although Verbeek claimed Monday that 'there was never really anything talked about in the past as far as Trevor.'
The Flyers made another major deal with the Ducks in January 2024, with GM Danny Briere sending the disgruntled Gauthier to Anaheim for defenseman Jamie Drysdale, Zegras' longtime friend. Both Zegras and Drysdale were drafted in the first round by the Ducks before Verbeek took over the front office.
Gauthier had a strong rookie season for Anaheim with 20 goals and 24 assists, while Drysdale scored 20 points with a minus-32 rating last season for the Flyers.
Philadelphia also has a new coach for the upcoming season with the hiring of Rick Tocchet.
Poehling had 12 goals and 19 assists in 68 games as a depth forward for Philadelphia last season. After starting his career in Montreal and getting traded to Pittsburgh for the 2022-23 season, he signed with the Flyers as a free agent and produced the best two offensive seasons of his career.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
24 minutes ago
- CTV News
Edmonton teen with medical condition participates in archery
Edmonton Watch Edmonton junior high student Kaiya isn't letting her medical conditions stop her from competing in archery. CTV News Edmonton's Evan Kenny has her story.
National Post
3 hours ago
- National Post
Abbotsford Canucks Live: Abby aims to win Game 6 — and first Calder Cup — in steamy Charlotte
One shot to win it all. Article content Amid the sweat and strain in steamy Charlotte, N.C., where it's 35 degrees Celsius or 95 Fahrenheit, the Abbotsford Canucks know one Game 6 shot on a sloppy and suspect Bojangles Coliseum ice surface could cap their remarkable season. Article content It would secure the Calder Cup championship, the first for an AHL affiliate of the parent NHL Canucks, and avoid being dragged into Game 7 on Wednesday against the Checkers. They shoot pucks from any angle at any time and a 199-126 series advantage, including 54, 42, and 40-shot efforts, have the Canucks on alert to force the forechecking issue and not play on their heels. Article content Article content Three series games have required overtime, including a pair of double-overtimes, and it could come down to somebody playing hero when it matters most. Abbotsford hasn't lost two-straight games in the post-season and it's been more than two months since they lost two in a row. Article content Mercurial Abbotsford winger Danila Klimovich, who had been in and out of the lineup, played double-overtime hero in Game 1. He also scored in double overtime against the Texas Stars in the Western Conference final. They might name a street after him in Abbotsford if he strikes tonight, should there be an extra session. Article content Article content However, the telling blow is more likely to be landed by the Canucks' top line, or the day could be saved by the guy between the pipes. Article content Linus Karlsson, Arshdeep Bains and Max Sasson have combined for 61 points (25-36) through these playoffs. Karlsson leads playoff scoring with 25 points (13-12), Bains is second with 22 points (7-15), and Sasson eighth with 14 points (5-9). Sasson leads in shots with 72, while Karlsson has 64 and Bains 42. Article content Article content Then again, the struggling Jonathan Lekkerimaki scored twice in Game 4, so who knows would could play Game 6 hero? Might even be burly Sammy Blais. Article content Article content As for Silovs, he has 51, 28 and 32-save wins in the series and his five playoff shutouts are one shy of the league record. Former Canucks goaltender Mika Noronen established the mark by backstopping the Rochester Americans to the 2000 Calder Cup title. Article content If you aren't able to watch the game in person, scroll down for the play-by-play updates from tonight's game. Be sure to hit the refresh button for the latest update. Article content
Globe and Mail
4 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
Anaheim Ducks send Trevor Zegras to Philadelphia Flyers for Ryan Poehling and draft picks
The Anaheim Ducks traded Trevor Zegras to the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday, ending the exciting forward's inconsistent half-decade in Orange County. The Ducks get forward Ryan Poehling and the 45th overall pick in the upcoming draft that initially belonged to Columbus, along with a fourth-round pick next season. Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek said he dealt away the Ducks' charismatic former leading scorer in part because Zegras no longer fit the Ducks' roster as they attempt to end their seven-year playoff drought. 'You start imagining lines and how you want certain players to complement each other,' Verbeek said. 'We started looking at that scenario, so ultimately we made the decision to move Trevor because of that.' Zegras is a natural centre who wants to be a playmaker in the middle, but rising stars Leo Carlsson and Mason McTavish have earned those spots on Anaheim's top two lines, which has forced Zegras to play left wing or to centre a depth line. The Ducks also recently acquired longtime Rangers forward Chris Kreider, who works out with Zegras in the summer, to play left wing on one of their top two lines. 'I think he'll be given that opportunity in Philadelphia to play center,' Verbeek said. 'He's more creative in the middle of the ice and (not) having to play from the wing. We're fortunate that there's Leo and there's Mason, (but) Trevor has to kind of get pushed to the wing, and that probably doesn't suit his best attributes.' Verbeek also acknowledged the financial realities of the deal. Zegras will be a restricted free agent next summer, when the Ducks also will need to re-sign Carlsson, promising forward Cutter Gauthier and talented young defencemen Jackson LaCombe, Pavel Mintyukov and Olen Zellweger. The big, speedy Poehling will become a key contributor on the Ducks' awful special teams, Verbeek predicted. Poehling was one of the Flyers' top penalty-killing forwards last season while scoring 31 points — just one fewer than Zegras. Verbeek still realizes his decision will rankle some Ducks supporters who won't be happy to lose the most interesting player on a few terrible Anaheim teams in recent years. Zegras remained a fan favorite at Honda Center throughout his tenure with the Ducks, who hired coach Joel Quenneville last month with the stated goal to return to the playoffs next spring. Zegras was the Ducks' first-round pick in 2019, and he had two 60-point seasons early in his NHL career. He finished as the runner-up to Detroit's Moritz Seider in 2022 for the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie. Zegras also became well known outside Anaheim for his proficiency with the Michigan goal, in which a player lifts the puck with his stick blade and wraps it into the net from behind. But the 24-year-old Zegras struggled with injuries and consistency for the past two seasons, scoring just 47 points in 88 combined games. He had 12 goals and 20 assists in 57 games last season, increasing his production at midseason after a slow start and a 22-game absence with a knee injury. Zegras' commitment to defence was also widely questioned in Anaheim, although he appeared to make significant strides on that end of the ice last season. Zegras has been a frequent topic of loud trade rumours for the past two seasons, although Verbeek claimed Monday that 'there was never really anything talked about in the past as far as Trevor.' The Flyers made another major deal with the Ducks in January 2024, with GM Danny Briere sending the disgruntled Gauthier to Anaheim for defenseman Jamie Drysdale, Zegras' longtime friend. Both Zegras and Drysdale were drafted in the first round by the Ducks before Verbeek took over the front office. Gauthier had a strong rookie season for Anaheim with 20 goals and 24 assists, while Drysdale scored 20 points with a minus-32 rating last season for the Flyers. Philadelphia also has a new coach for the upcoming season with the hiring of Rick Tocchet. Poehling had 12 goals and 19 assists in 68 games as a depth forward for Philadelphia last season. After starting his career in Montreal and getting traded to Pittsburgh for the 2022-23 season, he signed with the Flyers as a free agent and produced the best two offensive seasons of his career.
