The Philadelphia Flyers hoped they were getting the early-career version of Trevor Zegras when they traded for him. They sent Ryan Poehling and two draft picks to the Anaheim Ducks in order to give the former ninth overall pick a fresh start. So far, he is paying off Philadelphia’s faith in him.
Zegras scored his first two goals as a member of the Flyers on Saturday night. He also added an assist to give him a three-point night. This effort was a major driving force behind the Flyers’ 4-3 win over the New York Islanders at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
His impact on the game went beyond regulation, as well. The Islanders and Flyers could not be separated in regulation. And overtime wasn’t enough, either. This game went to a shootout, where Zegras also scored.
The young forward has been through a lot in his career to this point. He struggled with injuries and felt like a potential castoff after such a promising start with the Ducks. After the game, he sent a rather honest message about what these two goals mean to him.
“It felt nice,” Zegras said, via NHL.com. “The fans are so great. To do it front of them is special for sure. … It was a big win for us back at home and we want to be a tough team to play here, so pretty fired up about that.”
Trevor Zegras Continuing Hot Start Early On
Emilee Chinn/Getty ImagesThe Trevor Zegras trade is looking like an early win for the Philadelphia Flyers.
Zegras had not scored until Saturday. However, that is not to say that he hasn’t made an impact. The Flyers-Ducks trade has already drawn high praise for the performances Zegras has turned in for Philadelphia this season, in fact.
The 24-year-old went scoreless in his first game as a Flyer. But he went on a huge six-game assist streak following that. This streak was ended in a loss to the Ottawa Senators on Thursday. However, he made it five straight home games with an assist thanks to his helper against the Islanders.
Zegras needed a chance to show what he could do. He was not going to get that chance in Anaheim, given how they were building their team. So far, he is showing that he can still be an impact player. And the Flyers are reaping the benefits.
Flyers Full of Confidence To Begin 2025-26
Philadelphia’s record is nothing to write home about. But you could be forgiven for thinking this team was atop their conference from how the players carry themselves. They are full of confidence early on this season.
Saturday’s game is a perfect example. It was a close affair throughout, needing to be ended in a shootout. But from the Flyers’ perspective, the result was never in doubt.
“Not really too surprised with this team and this locker room,” Flyers defenseman Jamie Drysdale — a close friend of Zegras — said after the Islanders win, via NHL.com. “It’s what we were talking about between periods — close game and we’re going to win the game. (Goalie Samuel Ersson) came up huge for us with a bunch of big saves that kept us in the game, and coming out on top was real nice.”
The Flyers will look to make it four wins from their last five on Tuesday night when Philadelphia takes on its intrastate rival, the Pittsburgh Penguins.
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