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Examining Potential Penguins And Sabres Trades

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Matthew Fairburn and Shayna Goldman of The Athletic wrote an article outlining 12 potential teams interested in trading for forward JJ Peterka of the Buffalo Sabres. The Sabres are trying to end a 14-year playoff drought and hope to add pieces this summer, while also considering trading one of their best young players, Peterka. The Sabres urgently need veteran help to take the next step and could also benefit from a right-shot defenseman. Enter the Pittsburgh Penguins, who have several veteran players on the trading block, including a three-time Norris Trophy winner who is a right-shot defenseman.

Connecting with the Penguins is achievable, as they intend to get younger this summer and might benefit from a player like Peterka to lead their initial wave of prospects aiming to move up to the NHL next season. Pittsburgh has substantially increased its prospect pool over the past 15 months, but it has concentrated more on quantity than quality and lacks top-tier prospects. Peterka would fill that role as a top-tier player, the oldest among them, and likely act as an informal leader for the Penguins.

The Penguins have multiple draft picks over the subsequent three drafts and might send a bunch of picks to Buffalo; however, the Sabres want roster players, of which Pittsburgh has a few that could meet Buffalo’s needs. Bryan Rust is the most valuable of the Penguins’ available veterans and is probably the one Pittsburgh would prefer to trade the least. Nonetheless, his no-movement clause expires in the next week, and with three years remaining on his contract at $5.125MM per season (according to PuckPedia), he holds significant value. He would be an excellent addition for Buffalo. The 33-year-old just finished a career year with the Pens, scoring 31 goals and 34 assists in 71 games, and remains one of Pittsburgh’s key leaders. He is also a two-time Stanley Cup Champion who has scored crucial goals in important games. While Rust alone wouldn’t fetch a player like Peterka, the Penguins could consider trading Rust along with another roster player or include additional assets, such as the draft picks they have in abundance.

Another potential fit for Buffalo would be Rickard Rakell, who has three years remaining on his deal at $5MM annually (per PuckPedia). Like his teammate Rust, Rakell had a career year this past season, recording 35 goals and 35 assists in 81 games. Rakell has an eight-team no-trade list included in his deal with the Penguins, which could be an issue if the Sabres are on it. Rakell doesn’t bring the same intangible qualities as Rust and wouldn’t come close to netting the Penguins a player like Peterka. Still, when combined with several other pieces, he could be the centerpiece of a trade benefiting both teams.

The last player who could partake in a deal benefiting both teams is Erik Karlsson. The Sabres need a right-shot defender, and with limited options available, Karlsson is a potential target for them. This is the least likely scenario, considering Karlsson has a full no-movement clause and probably isn’t eager to join another team that might miss the playoffs. That said, the Sabres can offer a stronger roster (on paper) than the Penguins and have a more direct path back to contention.

Karlsson remains somewhat productive offensively, posting over 50 points in each of his two seasons with Pittsburgh. However, he carries a $10MM cap hit (per PuckPedia), and the Sabres likely won’t be eager to take on such a hefty salary for a 34-year-old defenseman who struggles defensively. That said, the Penguins have retention slots available and could absorb a significant portion of the deal to facilitate a trade.

Now, there is no chance that Karlsson brings the Penguins a player like Peterka; however, depending on the retention, it could result in them acquiring another RFA, such as forward Jack Quinn. This hypothetical would require many ’maybes’ to align, but it is just another example of how the Sabres and Penguins could find several mutually beneficial moves.

Finally, Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas has said he wants to get younger and find a left-side defenseman. Coincidentally, Buffalo has a player who fits both of those needs in Bowen Byram. The 24-year-old was the fourth overall pick in 2019 and possesses all the skills you’d expect in a top-pair defenseman. However, the gap between his skillset and his on-ice results has often been significant, although last season was better. However, some of his underlying numbers were not great. Byram set a career high with 38 points in 82 games, but struggled when playing alongside anyone other than Rasmus Dahlin. The Penguins don’t have a Dahlin or anyone similar, which could leave Byram exposed on the blueline – probably not advantageous for him or the team.

The Penguins and Sabres are two teams heading in different directions this summer and have been in other places for the past 15 years. While their trajectories might differ, this could be a situation where opposites attract, and perhaps even lead to a trade.

Photo by Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Predators Hire Luke Richardson As Assistant Coach

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The Predators have added an assistant coach to Andrew Brunette’s staff, confirming Tuesday in a press release that they’ve hired Luke Richardson. He’s replacing Todd Richards, whom the club said will not return to Nashville in 2025-26.

Richardson, who was the Blackhawks’ head coach for parts of three seasons from 2022-23 until his firing in December and also has previous head coaching experience in the AHL, also had stints as an assistant coach with the Senators (2008-12), Islanders (2017-18), and Canadiens (2018-22). Alex Daugherty of The Tennessean notes Richardson will oversee the club’s defense corps, although Darby Hendrickson will likely remain in charge of the penalty kill after replacing Dan Hinote on the bench last offseason.

Richards, meanwhile, had been with the Preds since the 2020-21 season and even took over as interim head coach for a few games late this year when Brunette was on leave. It’s unclear whether the 58-year-old initiated the departure himself or if Nashville made the decision not to retain him. Regardless, he should have no trouble landing on his feet. He was previously the Wild’s head coach in the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons and also managed the Blue Jackets’ bench from 2012 to his firing early in the 2015-16 season. He has a career record of 204-183-37 (.525) and also had stops as an assistant coach with the Sharks (2008-09) and Lightning (2016-20) before arriving in Nashville.

“Luke brings a wealth of NHL experience as both a player and coach to our staff, and we are excited to welcome him and his family to the organization,” general manager Barry Trotz said. “With that experience, we believe he will be a valuable new voice and set of eyes – not just for our defensemen, but for our coaching staff. His strong character, leadership, perspective as a former NHL head coach and ability to connect with both young and veteran players will elevate our team on and off the ice.”

While the Preds had a highly disappointing 2024-25 campaign, ending up with a top-five draft pick despite beginning the season with aspirations of a deep playoff run after multiple high-profile free agent signings, they won’t be making any more coaching changes. Trotz told reporters last month that Brunette would be back behind Nashville’s bench next year.

Bruins’ Daniil Misyul Signs With KHL’s Lokomotiv Yaroslavl

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Bruins pending RFA defenseman Daniil Misyul has opted to return to his native Russia for the 2025-26 season. He’s signed a one-year deal with the Kontinental Hockey League’s Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, per a league release. Boston can retain Misyul’s NHL rights through 2027-28 if they issue him a qualifying offer by the June 30 deadline.

Misyul did not appear in an NHL game for the Bruins after being acquired from the Devils in exchange for depth forward Marc McLaughlin at the trade deadline. He played out the season with AHL Providence, recording a goal, 27 PIMs, and a minus-two rating in 11 appearances. He totaled a 1-8–9 scoring line with a -10 rating in 58 AHL games on the year across Providence and Utica.

A third-round pick by the Devils in 2019, Misyul just completed the two-year, entry-level contract he signed with New Jersey in 2023. The 6’3″, 196-lb lefty made his NHL debut for New Jersey this season before the trade. He logged a minus-one rating, one shot attempt, one block, and one hit in 12:23 of ice time in an 8-5 loss to the Lightning on Oct. 22.

The Belarus native had spent his entire professional career in Russia with Lokomotiv before coming to North America two years ago. He recorded 21 points and a +28 rating in 184 games with the club throughout five seasons and won a silver medal with Russia back at the 2020 World Juniors. Yaroslavl is coming off its first Gagarin Cup title and first championship since winning the Russian Superleague in 2003. Their 2025-26 roster includes former NHLers Byron Froese, Mac Hollowell, Alexei Melnichuk, Alexander Radulov, and Alexander Yelesin in addition to Predators 2024 first-round pick Yegor Surin.

Sabres Notes: No. 9 Pick, Peterka, Samuelsson, Coaches

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While the Sabres are interested in multiple names as they hold the No. 9 pick in Friday’s draft, they’re also far more open to trading their top pick for immediate help than they have in years past, general manager Kevyn Adams told reporters during his media availability Tuesday (via Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550).

They’re far from the only team willing to move a top-10 pick in what’s viewed as a weaker-than-normal 2025 class. The Mammoth (No. 4) and Bruins (No. 7) are the two clubs that have been thrown out there the most in public speculation, but the only true untouchables are likely the Islanders and Sharks at first and second overall.

Immediate help is an immediate priority for the Sabres, especially as they look to replace and improve upon a pair of potential departures in the form of pending RFAs Bowen Byram and JJ Peterka. While they should be able to recoup legitimate value to their NHL roster in those deals while adding a bit to their pipeline, they won’t likely be able to replace their current impacts directly. That means leveraging another asset in their system to help bolster their group after a highly disappointing 79-point finish in 2024-25, their 14th consecutive season without playoff hockey.

If they can’t or don’t anticipate being able to land a top-four caliber right-shot defenseman in return for Byram or Peterka, they’ll presumably try to leverage the ninth overall pick to land one. Jacob Bernard-Docker and Connor Clifton are the only NHL-caliber righties under team control for next season, and the former is a pending RFA.

A top-six center is a widely publicized desire for the Sabres as well. They could offer the Wild the pick straight-up for 2020 No. 9 overall selection Marco Rossi, whom they’ve been linked to, but that doesn’t fit Minnesota’s desire to land an NHL-ready piece in return for the pending RFA center instead of futures.

There’s more on the Sabres from Adams today:

  • Adams wouldn’t comment on any trade discussions surrounding the pending RFA Peterka, according to Michael Augello of The Hockey News. He declined to confirm or deny speculation that Peterka had submitted a formal trade request. Regardless, there has been no reported progress on a new contract. While the Sabres are in no rush to part ways with the 23-year-old winger, the lack of productive negotiations means the Sabres are at least legitimately listening to the offers they receive for him.
  • Mattias Samuelsson will not be bought out this summer, Adams confirmed (via Hamilton). While they’re reportedly listening to trade offers for the underperforming 25-year-old defenseman, there was never even a consideration of triggering a buyout that would have cost the team an even $714.3K per season over the next 10 years.
  • Adams said that assistant coaches Seth Appert, Matt Ellis, and Marty Wilford, as well as goaltending coach Mike Bales, remain under contract for 2025-26 (via Hamilton). There’s still flexibility for head coach Lindy Ruff to make changes to his support staff if he desires, though. Adams said he’d be open to Ruff requesting any subtractions or additions to the bench.

Rangers To Send 12th Overall Pick To Penguins

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The New York Rangers have decided to send the 2025 12th overall pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins, per Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. The Rangers were on the hook for sending either their 2025 or 2026 first-round pick to the Penguins to complete a mid-season trifecta of trades. New York originally traded the pick to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for J.T. Miller, as part of a multi-player trade. The Canucks then flipped the pick to the Penguins in a move that landed them defenseman Marcus Pettersson and forward Drew O’Connor in another multi-player deal.

The Rangers landed on this decision after finding more value in holding onto their 2026 first, per NHL.com’s Dan Rosen. It’s not necessarily a statement on New York’s behalf that they’re resigned to missing the postseason again in 2026 after falling out of the playoff frame this past season. Even an early elimination and a pick in the 16-20 range in 2026 likely holds equal or more value than this year’s No. 12 selection due to an anticipated deeper class of prospects to choose from next year.

Pittsburgh’s own pick is No. 11 overall, so they’ll have the opportunity to make back-to-back selections to add depth to a middle-of-the-pack prospect pool amid their retool. The Penguins’ system was labeled 20th in the league by The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler in January. However, they’ve since added 2024-25 SHL Rookie of the Year Melvin Fernström and 2021 first-rounder Chase Stillman to their pool in separate trades, although the latter has really struggled to adjust to the pro game.

Now equipped with two picks in the top 15, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Pittsburgh at least consider packaging the two selections or parting ways with one of them to move higher up in the draft order. They’ve got a fair amount of depth in their pool in the form of a few mid-to-late first-round choices and some high-value second-round picks, but lack a true blue-chip piece. While there likely won’t be one available to them at 11th or 12th overall, they could snag one if they manage to sneak into the top seven or eight selections.

Blues Notes: Krug, Lindstein, Buyouts

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St. Louis Blues general manager Doug Armstrong confirmed that defenseman Torey Krug won’t play next season after undergoing ankle surgery this year, shares Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic. It will be Krug’s second-consecutive missed season. The news was previously reported in early May, but now comes with official word behind it. Krug’s surgery was to address a diagnosis with pre-arthritis in his left ankle. The injury stemmed from a fractured ankle sustained in the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Krug has played in 360 games, between the regular season and playoffs, since sustaining that ankle injury at age 27 in 2018. For better or worse, he looked no worse for wear in the years to follow. He posted a career-high 47 assists in 64 games of the 2018-19 season, and continued to pace-for or top 40 points all the way through his last season in 2023-24. He was mobile and effective for the Blues, bringing a puck-moving energy and snappy offense that the team lacked since moving away from Vince Dunn and Alex Pietrangelo. With Krug out, the Blues were forced to rediscover that spark through the brazen play-driving of Colton Parayko and breakout season of Philip Broberg. Both players will continue to be leaned on, while Krug eyes retirement after 778 games, and 13 seasons, in the NHL.

Other notes out of St. Louis:

  • The Blues will get reinforcements for Krug’s absence in the form of SHL prospect Theo Lindstein, who Armstrong says will play in either the NHL or AHL next season per Matthew DeFranks of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Lindstein grew into a hardy role with the SHL’s Brynas IF this season – netting nine points, six penalty minutes, and a plus-nine through 44 games. He also contributed five points in 17 games to Brynas’ postseason run. His stat linen may not jump off the table, but Lindstein’s ability to handle responsibility away from the puck was strong enough to warrant a first-round selection in the 2023 NHL Draft. He followed that draft selection by winning an SHL championship with Brynas in 2024. Now, Lindstein will take the stride to North America – where his jumpy skating, poised positioning, and quick reactions should all lead to a solid role. Fans should expect the 20-year-old to begin the year in the minor leagues.
  • Armstrong also shared with DeFranks that the Blues will not be utilizing any buyouts ahead of July 1st. There aren’t many aged and costly contracts on the team, especially with Krug’s $6.5MM deal set to be placed on long-term injured reserve. Perhaps the most unreasonable contract would be the $4MM due to Nick Leddy this season, though Armstrong has emphasized Leddy’s guaranteed role in next year’s lineup. Leddy scored five points in 31 games last season. With no contracts set to be cut, the Blues will enter the postseason with an estimated $5.03MM in cap space, per PuckPedia.

Snapshots: Hofer, Boeser, Puljujarvi, Seney

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Some have speculated that Blues goaltender Joel Hofer could be an offer sheet candidate this summer.  Speaking with reporters today including Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic (subscription link), GM Doug Armstrong tried his best to dissuade any potential suitors away:

We’ve taken the Boston-Detroit approach last year when they had RFAs. They made sure they left enough cap space that any offer could be matched. I’m very comfortable we can match any offer if we choose to match it. It won’t be we didn’t match it because we couldn’t afford it. It will be we didn’t match it because we thought the value we were getting back was better, and that value would have to start with a first-round pick or else we’ll just match it.

I’m not saying we wouldn’t match it with a first either, but I guess this is my shot across the bow. You can go after him. You’re not going to get him.

Hofer put up a 2.65 GAA and a .909 SV% in 65 games while playing on his two-year bridge contract, putting him in line for a significant raise on the league-minimum salary of $775K that he was making during that time.  It wouldn’t be surprising to see a short-term deal come in around $3MM, especially since he’s arbitration-eligible this summer.  Hofer could be a candidate for a second bridge contract as he’s still three years away from UFA eligibility while lining up the expiration of his deal at the same time that Blues starter Jordan Binnington’s contract will be up.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • The Senators are expected to show interest in pending UFA winger Brock Boeser if he gets to the open market, reports Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. Ottawa was 30th in the NHL in goals scored at five-on-five and Boeser, who has notched roughly 26 goals per year over the last five seasons, would certainly help in that regard.  However, affording him could be a challenge.  The Sens have around $10.75MM in cap space, per PuckPedia, but have made it known that they don’t plan to be a cap-spending team in 2025-26.  Considering that Boeser could command more than $8MM per season in free agency, he might be out of their price range unless they can open up money elsewhere first.
  • While Jesse Puljujarvi was one of only a few players still playing in the Calder Cup Finals (until recently when Abbotsford won the series in six), it appears he’s already looking ahead to his next deal. Blick, a Swiss newspaper, reports that the 27-year-old is likely to sign in the Swiss NL next season, likely with HC Lugano.  Puljujarvi started the year with Pittsburgh, getting into 26 games but asked for his contract to be terminated after he cleared waivers and was sent to the minors in February.  He quickly signed with Florida’s AHL team and was eventually converted to an NHL contract, getting into five games with the Panthers.  But while Puljujarvi has nearly 400 games at the top level under his belt, he has been more of an NHL-AHL ‘tweener’ lately so heading overseas where he can play a bigger role might make the most sense for him.
  • Pending Blackhawks UFA winger Brett Seney has decided not to test the open market after all and will remain with the organization. But after playing on an NHL deal in recent years, that won’t be the case anymore as their affiliate, AHL Rockford, announced that they’ve signed the 29-year-old to a two-year contract.  Seney has 66 career NHL appearances under his belt, including four in 2023-24, but spent all of this season in the minors where he notched 10 goals and 19 assists in 58 games.

Free Agent Focus: Washington Capitals

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Free agency is now less than two weeks away, and teams are looking ahead to when it opens. There will be several impact players set to hit the open market in July, while many teams also have key restricted free agents to re-sign. We continue our look around the NHL with an overview of the free agent situation for the Capitals.

Key Restricted Free Agents

D Alexander Alexeyev – The good news for Alexeyev is that he was a full-time NHL roster player this season.  The bad news is that he only played in eight games during the regular season plus three more with AHL Hershey on a conditioning stint.  Granted, he did play a regular role in the playoffs with Martin Fehervary out of the lineup but this is hardly the most compelling case heading into an arbitration-eligible summer.  The 25-year-old does have 80 career NHL regular season games under his belt and has been a serviceable third-pairing player in a lot of those.  His qualifying offer checks in just under $919K and it wouldn’t be shocking to see a one-year deal come in around that cost, giving him one last chance to make a case for more regular playing time.  Alternatively, they could non-tender him and give Alexeyev a chance to catch on elsewhere.

F Hendrix Lapierre – Lapierre was a regular for the first three months of the season but was limited to just eight assists in 27 games before being sent to the Bears in late December where he stayed the rest of the way.  He fared well in that stint, averaging a point per game in 32 outings.  That said, he did get into 51 games with the Capitals in 2023-24 so he’s not one of those players who’s likely to take less than his $874K qualifying offer to get a one-way salary; he should be able to land a small raise.  But given his usage last season, both sides will likely want a one-year pact which should come in around the $1MM mark.

Other RFAs: F Pierrick Dube, G Mitchell Gibson, D Tobias Geisser (signed in Switzerland), F Henrik Rybinski

Key Unrestricted Free Agents

F Anthony Beauvillier – Once viewed as a projected top-six winger, Beauvillier’s stock fell considerably in 2023-24 to the point where he accepted a one-year, $1.25MM deal with Pittsburgh in the hopes of rebuilding some value.  He fared well with the Penguins and was flipped to Washington at the trade deadline where he was quiet down the stretch.  However, the 28-year-old then put up six points in 10 playoff games which will help his cause heading to the open market this time out.  It’s unlikely that he gets back to the $4.15MM price tag that he had from 2021-22 through 2023-24 considering that he only had 25 points this season but doubling his contract from last summer should be doable for Beauvillier.

D Ethan Bear – The decision to sign a two-year deal with Washington worth just over $2MM per season worked well for Bear from a financial perspective but not so much from a playing perspective as he ultimately played just 24 games for the Capitals and spent all of this season in Hershey.  Still, Bear has 275 career NHL appearances under his belt and is a right-shot player, the side that’s always in demand.  He’s a safe bet to get an NHL deal somewhere but his market might be good enough to push his price point around the $1MM mark.

F Lars Eller – The 36-year-old managed to get to double-digit goals this season for the fourth straight year and the 11th time in the last 12 seasons.  However, he is starting to slow down and might be better deployed primarily as a fourth liner who can move up when injuries arise.  There’s still a market for that type of player but it’ll be at a lower cost than the $

F Andrew Mangiapane – Most of GM Chris Patrick’s moves from last summer panned out well but Mangiapane’s acquisition was an exception as it didn’t yield the bounce-back they were hoping for.  Instead of rebounding and surpassing the 40 points he had the year before, his production dropped to a career-low 28 points.  While he has a 35-goal season under his belt from back in 2021-22, it’s also the only time he has even reached 20 in a single year.  Given his recent struggles, a shorter-term deal is likely and after making $5.8MM per year on his most recent contract, he’s unlikely to come close to that amount.  Something in the $3MM range per season is where his next contract might land.

F Taylor Raddysh – After being non-tendered by Chicago last summer, Raddysh took a low-cost one-year, $1MM contract early in free agency.  He did pretty well despite a limited role, notching 27 points while averaging a little more than 12 minutes a night of playing time.  Given the playing time, it’s unlikely that he’s going to be able to command a substantial raise but he could get a multi-year deal closer to $2MM per season than $1MM per year.  That would be a solid outcome for someone who was released just one year ago.

Other UFAs: F Nicklas Backstrom (signed in Sweden), F Alex Limoges, F Luke Philp, D Chase Priskie, F Michael Sgarbossa (signed in Switzerland), G Hunter Shepard, F Riley Sutter

Projected Cap Space

The Capitals enter the summer with $9.375MM in cap space with only a pair of low-cost restricted free agents to sign so Patrick is in a spot where he can add to his roster.  Whether they do that with a significant addition up front or spread things out to fill a few spots and leave some in-season wiggle room remains to be seen but either way, they’re likely to be bringing in some pieces over the coming weeks.

Photos courtesy of Geoff Burke (Beauvillier) and Nick Turchiaro (Mangiapane)-Imagn Images.  Contract info courtesy of PuckPedia.

Metropolitan Notes: Severson, Penguins, Snowden

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Blue Jackets defenseman Damon Severson has popped up in recent trade discussions, relays Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli.  The 30-year-old still has six years left on his contract with a $6.25MM cap charge.  He logged over 19 minutes a game this season and posted 25 points in 70 appearances but notably, he was a healthy scratch down the stretch as Columbus made their late push for the playoffs.  Given that limited usage late, it’s not too surprising that the Blue Jackets appear to be exploring if there are any trade options with Severson even though they’re set to potentially lose two key blueliners in pending UFAs Ivan Provorov and Dante Fabbro.  Notably, Severson has a full no-trade clause so even if a trade gets agreed on, the veteran will have the final say on if it happens.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • While the order for the draft has now been set, there is still one pick whose status is in flux. That would be the 12th overall selection, presently held by the Rangers, who have until Wednesday to decide if they’re conveying it to the Penguins or keeping it, allowing Pittsburgh to get New York’s 2026 unprotected pick.  Josh Yohe of The Athletic notes (subscription link) that at this moment, the belief inside the Penguins organization is that the Rangers will keep the selection and defer ceding the first rounder until next year.  Even if that happens, Pittsburgh will have a late-lottery pick as they already have the 11th selection.
  • It appears as if the Flyers could be promoting from within when it comes to their AHL head coaching vacancy. Kevin Kurz of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that the frontrunner is Phantoms assistant coach John Snowden.  He has spent the last two years in that role after spending the previous two as an assistant with AHL Toronto.  Snowden, if ultimately promoted, would take the place of Ian Laperriere who was reassigned in the organization back in the spring.

Flyers Recap Trevor Zegras Trade, Eyeing More Moves This Off-Season

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As has become custom in the wake of big roster trades, Philadelphia Flyers general manager Daniel Brière sat down with the media to discuss the team’s acquisition of Trevor Zegras on Monday morning. Brière most notably shared that the Flyers had already engaged the Ducks in talks around a trade for Zegras, shares ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski. Brière went on to share that previous talks fell through because of Philadelphia’s lack of assets and Anaheim’s lack of desire to rush a move.

That sentiment will ring loud as the Flyers spark their off-season with a big swap. Ryan Poehling – the only skater featured in the return package – filled an important third-line role for the Flyers this season. He scored a career-high 31 points in 68 games and was often the champion of the simple tasks, supporting Philadelphia’s jump up the ice or surge to regain possession. It’s possible that the team couldn’t be pried away from their impactful depth forward until after the season concluded, and they had a full summer to properly assimilate Zegras into his new role.

But what that role will look like still remains a glaring question mark. Brière spoke candidly about the team’s lack of depth down the middle and shared that he hopes Zegras can eventually return to his role at center. But he made sure to note that the final decision will rest with new head coach Rick Tocchet, per Charlie O’Connor of PHLY Sports.

Zegras looked more comfortable on the wing in the time leading up to his first-round selection in the 2019 NHL Draft, but Anaheim invested significant development into shifting the skillful forward over to the middle lane. The center role supported Zegras to the two highest-scoring seasons of his career, when he combined for 46 goals and 126 points in 156 games. But the Ducks had to bear through his dismal 40.6 percent faceoff success rate in that span – a mark that ultimately landed him back on the flanks in the last two seasons.

Brière acknowledged that Zegras’ dip in scoring is why he was available on the open market. The recently turned 24-year-old winger fell to just 32 points in 57 games this season, far off his career-high mark of 65 points set in the 2022-23 campaign. In the end, Brière says that the bet on Zegras returning to strong scoring is a risk the Flyers are willing to take, even if it was difficult to give up Poehling.

Even more exciting, Brière went on to say that the acquisition of Zegras is meant to be just one piece of a big puzzle this summer, shares O’Connor. The team wants to improve through shrewd additions on the trade or free agent market. But they’ll make those decisions with caution, and particularly don’t want to part with any of their three first-round picks in Friday’s 2025 NHL Draft, per Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia. The club could land an impactful player in each of the three position groups in this year’s first round, and was predicated to draft center Jake O’Brien, defender Kashawn Aitcheson, and goaltender Joshua Ravensbergen in PHR’s 2025 Mock Draft. All three players have warranted plenty of attention for their explosive and reliable performances this season.

It’s not clear the exact extent to which Brière wants to build up the Flyers this summer. They ranked dead last in the Eastern Conference last season and have already undergone multiple layers of change this summer. It may be overeager to push the team towards playoff contention next season, though a few more high-upside and young additions like Zegras could go far towards catapulting Philadelphia’s rebuild forward. That momentum, spurred by a trio of top prospects, could push the Flyers into closer contention with future standouts like the San Jose Sharks and Columbus Blue Jackets.

Image courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images.

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