At age 25, Flyers forward Trevor Zegras is hitting the prime of his NHL career. The hybrid forward set new career highs in 2025-26 with 26 goals and 67 points. He's capable of further advancement in upcoming seasons.
In his first career Stanley Cup playoff run, Zegras posted a respectable six points (2g, 4a) in 10 games. Moreover, Zegras showed a much more competitive, even feisty drive, than he’d previously been credited.
"Trevor has been a big part of our team since we acquired him from Anaheim. He cares about winning. And even in this negotiation, he's the one who took charge. He's the one who said, I want to be here. He's gone through a lot in his career. Things that weren't easy. That made him stronger," Briere said.
On Thursday, the Flyers announced a four-year contract extension through the 2029-30 season. The deal, which preempts a scheduled arbitration hearing next Wednesday, carries a $9.125 million average annual value (AAV). The contract contains a partial no-trade clause.
Essentially, the Flyers rewarded Zegras handsomely for his progress last season. Meanwhile, he’s able to bet on himself that there’s another big-money contract in his future at age 29.
On the ice, Zegras has improved his all-around game over the last couple seasons. Zegras is a hybrid wing/center. In 2025-26, he played more wing than center in the first two-thirds of the season, at least in terms of where he lined up on faceoffs. It should be noted that, in the latter portion of this past season, Zegras took an increased share of faceoffs and longer segments patrolling the middle.
Nevertheless, faceoffs are a key area of needed improvement if Zegras is to evolve into more of a full-time center. He finished at 34.1 percent on draws this past season and is just 38.9 percent for his career.
Off the ice, Zegras is someone who keeps the locker room atmosphere light. He also has a push-pull dynamic with head coach Rick Tocchet, but it’s the healthy and productive kind.
The next order of business for the Flyers is to finalize a new contract for defensemen Jamie Drysdale. The 24-year-old, who took a major step in his development during the 2025-26 campaign, is scheduled for an arbitration hearing next Monday (July 20). Additionally, the organization still has to re-sign forward Nikita Grebenkin.
Briere said he's still looking for ways to improve the NHL roster but it "has to make sense." If that does not work out that way, the general manager said he'd be comfortable going into the season with the group that posted 98 points and won a playoff round this past season.
"We're still looking, if there is a chance to improve the team," Briere said. "It was noticed around the league, by our fans and by our players (since tendering an offer sheet to Leo Carlsson)."
