Should the Calgary Flames have traded for Trevor Zegras?
The Calgary Flames’ search for a centreman is continuing just one day following a trade that saw Trevor Zegras moved to the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Flames were rumoured to have interest in Zegras in the past, though interest in the 24-year-old seemed to dwindle from all teams throughout the NHL following another disappointing season in 2024-25.
It had been clear for quite some time that the Ducks were shopping Zegras, as GM Pat Verbeek wasn’t believed to be too fond of his style of play. Unfortunately for the Ducks, Zegras’ stock had dropped dramatically over the past two seasons, which was showcased in yesterday’s trade that saw him moved for Ryan Poehling, the 45th selection in this year’s draft, and a fourth-round pick in 2026.
This appears to be more of a cap dump than anything else for the Ducks, who were able to move out the entirety of Zegras’ $5.75 million cap hit. He is set to become an RFA at the end of the 2025-26 season.
Though Zegras had played on the wing for the majority of his tenure with the Ducks, Verbeek mentioned following yesterday’s trade that he is hoping to play down the middle going forward, and believes the Flyers are better served to give him that opportunity. It’s an interesting revelation, given that the Flames could have very well given him that same opportunity with their lack of depth down the middle.
From an age perspective, Zegras fits in perfectly with the Flames’ retooling plan, and he has the skill to become a true top-six centreman in the NHL. This is a player who recorded 61 and 65 points in each of his first two full NHL seasons.
Given how little the Flyers were forced to give up for Zegras, it’s fair to question whether Craig Conroy should have been more involved here. Acquiring top-six centres is no easy feat, and we may very well have just seen one moved for very little on Monday.
That said, you can understand the hesitancy not only from Conroy but also from all NHL GMs when it came to acquiring Zegras. He has all the skill in the world, but whether it can translate to true success in the NHL remains to be seen. Over the past two seasons, he’s managed just 47 points in a combined 88 games.
Time will tell whether or not Zegras can get his game back on track, but if he does, this will be looked at as a missed opportunity for the Flames.