Nov 4, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Philadelphia Flyers center Trevor Zegras (46) considers his options with the puck against the Montreal Canadiens during the third period at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
Trevor Zegras has been a human highlight reel for the Flyers in his first 13 games with the organization.
He has 15 points in those 13 games - including another two assists and the game-winning goal in the shootout in their octane fueled 5-4 win in Montreal on Tuesday - and he has easily been the Flyers best offensive player.
And while it's easy to get excited his productivity so far, some would temper it and say, "Hey, being great for a (baker's) dozen games is fine, but can he do it for a full season?"
It's a fair question to ask. He got off to a great start in his first two seasons in the NHL, but then things went off the rails in Anaheim.
The Flyers were able to get him for dimes on the dollar, and so far, he's shown that he can get back to the way things were when he first arrived with the Ducks.
And by all accounts, he's comfortable in Philadelphia. He likes it here. He's fit into the locker room from minute one. Having a pre-existing relationship with guys like Jamie Drysdale and Cam York helped on that front.
And he's playing like he's been here for years. Like he owns the place. Like this is the spot he wants to take root.
I could watch Trevor Zegras in the shootout all day. Kid is disgusting. pic.twitter.com/eSzhx1q9LV
— TLY (@TheLibertyYell) November 5, 2025
If the Flyers are smart, they would be wise to start thinking about allowing that to happen.
Zegras, 24, is currently in the final year of his 3-year, $17.25 million contract that he signed with Anaheim prior to the 2023-24 season that carries an annual cap hit of $5.75 million.
If he remains on this pace - which over the course of an 82-game season would equate to 95 points - then he could be in for a big pay day - especially with the salary cap rising exponentially over the next couple seasons.
According to Spotrac, the Flyers have $46.7 million in cap space for next season, but they have a slew of restricted free agents (10 on the active roster), of which Zegras is one - and arguably, the most important.
Briere won't call his agent, Pat Brisson, today - not while Zegras is on a tear. It would put the Flyers at a disadvantage negotiation-wise.
He'll likely wait until Zegras cools off a tad, but there is a needle to thread here.
If you wait too long, and his season is too good, you might have to bite the bullet and pay even more. That's a good problem to have in theory, but the Flyers still have enough needs for top end talent that they don't want to handcuff themselves.
#LetsGoFlyers Trevor Zegras is the #NHL’s all-time shootout leader by percentage.
PHI Zegras 15/23 - 65.2%
ATL Kozlov 27/46 - 58.7%
NYR Panarin 27/46 - 58.7%
DAL Robertson 18/32 - 56.3%
NJD Josefson 13/24 - 54.2%
(Min 20 attempts)
But you also don't want to jump at a hot stretch like this and have to start your bargaining at a higher floor than normal.
It's a delicate game that executives and agents constantly play.
The other interesting thing is, with so much growth coming to the salary cap, are players more interested in shorter term deals than before?
Some are taking shorter deals while others are cashing in on longer term contracts.
Additionally, what is Zegras worth?
One has to imagine if the discussion were to take place today it would be with an AAV of somewhere between $7.5-$8.5 million.
But if you let it go and he has that monster season - say 100-plus points - does that number grow even higher?
Again, it's a good problem to have, but the one thing that is most important is to not let it linger so long that it gets to arbitration. That's never good for anyone.
Until then, the Flyers are just going to continue to hope Zegras makes plays like this:
TREVOR ZEGRAS SPINNING PASS ARE YOU SERIOUS 😵🚨 pic.twitter.com/BX9v5fj9VI
... and that it continues to help them win games.
But if there's a real belief that Zegras is a big part of the future. They shouldn't dilly-dally. They should just buck convention and get it done.
It would also send a message to players around the league that the Flyers not only mean business, but are good to their players. That reputation matters - especially for an organization that had theirs tarnished so much prior to the era of Briere, Keith Jones and Dan Hilferty - as they try to attract new talent in the future.
Don't miss Snow The Goalie, live at Chickie's and Pete's every Wednesday at 6PM. The show will broadcast from a different Chickie's and Pete's location every week throughout the Flyers season. The next show is tonight (11/5) and will be at Chickie's and Pete's of Glassboro, 234 Rowan Blvd., Glassboro, N.J.
