Trevor Zegras says he’s ready to ‘be the best version of myself’ after trade to Flyers

From the Flyers’ perspective, there’s a lot to like about the acquisition of Trevor Zegras.

It sounds like he’s pretty happy, too.

“I think it was good to play the wing and learn that position and the responsibilities and see kind of where it goes with the new coach and the new team. But it would definitely be exciting to be back in the middle, for sure,” he said Tuesday after being part of a trade in which Ryan Poehling, the No. 45 draft pick in 2025, and a 2026 fourth-rounder headed to the Anaheim Ducks.

» READ MORE: Trade grade: Danny Brière hits a home run with low-risk, high-reward move for Trevor Zegras

For the last two seasons, Zegras was primarily shifted to the wing by then-Ducks coach Greg Cronin. The move coincided with a significant drop in his production. In his first two full NHL seasons, 2021-22 and 2022-23 — when he primarily played center — he posted more than 60 points, including 17 power-play points, in each.

But after the move, he managed just 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in 31 games and missed more than two months with a broken left ankle two seasons ago. This past season, he tallied 12 goals and 32 points in 57 games.

“I guess from a production standpoint, it’s obviously not what I expect out of myself,” Zegras said. “I think it gets kind of lost a little bit because I felt like I was doing all the right things and everything that I was asked to do.

“... I think I definitely learned a lot over the last two years, I guess more about myself and what I’m capable of, and I definitely learned a lot, so I’m hopefully going to take all that to Philadelphia with me and be the best version of myself.”

Zegras was moved to the wing with hopes of building up his defensive game. That still will be a primary focus for the 24-year-old, with new Flyers coach Rick Tocchet telling The Inquirer in May that defense is the base of his coaching philosophy.

But Tocchet also said he wanted to “unleash the talent” on the Flyers, and Zegras certainly fits that category.

The expectation is that the 6-foot, 185-pound Bedford, N.Y., native will serve as a top-six center for the Flyers and could be that No. 1 pivot for Matvei Michkov, whom Zegras called a “really smart, skilled forward with a lot of creativity and a really good nose for the net.” And then Zegras sounded a bit like the hypercompetitive Russian star.

“As long as we win the game, I feel like that’s the most important thing. That’s what I’ve learned the most over the last couple of years,” he said when asked about being an offensive player working on his defensive game.

“It’s more about how the team did than how you did. If you’re doing everything that is asked of you and you’re giving 100%, you focus more about the process than the personal outcome. If the team is having success, and they’re happy with what you’re doing and how you’re playing, that’s more important.”

Sure, but now he’s also getting the chance to get back to his hockey roots.

“I’ve played center, I guess, my whole career, up until two seasons ago, and I’ve always felt more comfortable there,” said Zegras, who added that he had a good, albeit brief, chat with Tocchet on Monday.

“I think there are definitely areas that I need to work on, whether it’s in the faceoff circle or below the goal line or in front of the net in the D zone.”

Excited to make the move back East, Zegras said he was working out with Chris Kreider when he heard the news. Kreider was recently traded from the New York Rangers to the Ducks, but now Zegras will have his buddy in defenseman Jamie Drysdale, and potentially another in restricted free agent Cam York, in the locker room.

“Once I heard it was Philadelphia, it was really cool because, best buddies with Jamie and Cam,” he said. “I lived with Jamie for two years in Anaheim and spent a lot of time with him. So it’s exciting when you have a familiar face like that in a new place, in a new home. So really cool.”