So far, so good for Flyers’ offseason moves
Philadelphia Flyers GM Daniel Briere did not hide his intentions entering the 2025 offseason. Being very transparent about a team prepared to turn the page to the next phase of its rebuild, the Flyers’ GM was vocal about his wishes to no longer subtract from his roster and look to add.
Staying true to his word, Briere struck early in the summer by landing forward Trevor Zegras from the Anaheim Ducks via trade. The Flyers didn’t go big-game hunting in free agency but still brought in goaltender Dan Vladar and center Christian Dvorak; the two signees addressed the Flyers’ needs in net and down the middle, respectively.
None of the aforementioned players was expected to be a monumental game changer (though Zegras did come with that pedigree, despite a down couple of seasons in California), the Flyers were confident in the new additions and the impacts they could respectively have. To this point, they have all exceeded expectations.
It is no secret that Zegras has been a rockstar early on in his Flyers career, leading them with 16 points through the first 13 games. The 2019 first-round pick, 24, has played a lot of his time as a “hybrid” center (mostly with Dvorak), starting plays on the wing due to his faceoff struggles but shifting to the middle as the play becomes more fluid. Battling and being willing to engage in contact, Zegras has shown compete level that has impressed the Flyers’ brass. His high-end skill set was well documented, but his willingness to “dig in” was in question entering the 2025-26 season.
As I mentioned last week, one Flyers source told me the team would’ve been “dead in the water” offensively if not for Zegras’ play early on. Given the early season struggles of forwards Travis Konecny and Matvei Michkov (though both have begun turning it around), Zegras’ dynamic ability to create offense on his own and be a lethal weapon in the shootout was essential in most of the Flyers’ wins to this point.
Zegras’ willingness to adapt to any forward position should also be noted, as head coach Rick Tocchet has played him on both wings and down the middle at various times this season. I personally think that Zegras has looked best when playing mostly at center, but I do understand the coach’s reservations to commit the Bedford, N.Y., native there full time given his shortcomings in the dot and defensively.
Speaking with a team source, the long-term plan for Zegras could very well be as a “hybrid” center alongside a defensively sound forward. My first thoughts went to Noah Cates and Tyson Foerster, but I was told it is probably far too early to theorize who that piece could be long-term. What if Zegras gels with 2024 first-round pick Jett Luchanko down the road? Or finds chemistry with prospect pivot Jack Nesbitt? No matter whom Zegras ultimately finds his niche alongside longterm, there doesn’t seem to be any doubt (at least until this point) that Zegras will have success.
The Vladar signing certainly came with its fair share of criticism, but the 28-year-old is proving that maybe all he needed was a chance at being a starter. Buried behind the likes of Tuukka Rask with the Boston Bruins and Jacob Markstrom or Dustin Wolf with the Calgary Flames, Vladar never had a fair crack at being a team’s true No. 1 goaltender.
The situation in Philadelphia was the perfect opportunity for Vladar to seize the starting job, and his 2.18 goals against average and .918 save percentage through nine games have given him the edge in net thus far. Sam Ersson’s game has benefitted too by having a competent partner to lean on, as the 26-year -ld Swede was left with a rotating cast of subpar partners for the 18 months that preceded Vladar’s arrival.
Vladar’s opportunity (and subsequent success) has somewhat mirrored what Anthony Stolarz and Samuel Montembeault did upon their arrivals with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens, respectively. With goaltending becoming more volatile than ever year over year, it is more common to see goaltenders in their late 20s hitting their “primes” than in years past. It is fair to point out that both Stolarz and Montembeault have experienced regressions this year, mind you.
As for Dvorak, the $5.4-million AAV that he was awarded certainly turned heads, but it is hardly problematic given the one-year term. The Flyers have moved off three centers since January in Morgan Frost, Scott Laughton and Ryan Poehling; there was a moderate need to add a veteran pivot to a very shallow group. Dvorak’s history with Tocchet certainly played a part, and the former has played an integral role at helping insulating Zegras and on the Flyers’ stellar penalty kill.
Dvorak’s offensive output of three goals and six assists have been more than adequate, though his 54% efficiency on faceoffs has been arguably his best asset – especially on the PK. The versatility in Dvorak’s game (both stylistically and positionally) has given the Flyers’ coaches far more flexibility in structuring their line combinations than has been the case in the past several years.
Briere did not send shock waves with his additions over the summer, but they have paid dividends to this point. With even more money freeing up for the Flyers’ next summer, it will be interesting to see if Dvorak and (far more likely) Zegras earn themselves new contracts before next season.
Flames looking to move a forward
The last place Calgary Flames have a logjam up front, and according to a league source, they are looking to move a forward. Including the injured Martin Pospisil, the Flames have 13 forwards on their NHL roster; speculatively speaking, I imagine they want to free up some space in the to -nine to move a player up the depth chart.
Looking at the Flames’ lineup, I imagine them wanting to move a forward would be to free up space for Connor Zary to have a more prominent role in the team’s top six or nine. Zary, 24, has just one goal and one assist through his first 15 games this season. He is currently skating as the team’s fourth-line center between Ryan Lomberg and Adam Klapka; he has played mostly on the wing when skating higher in the lineup.
A first-round pick in 2020, Zary had a contentious contract negotiation that spilled into the later days of summer to finalize; he ultimately inked a three year contract with an AAV of $3.775 million. If the Flames hope to commit to Zary long term beyond his three-year bridge deal, it will be best served for both sides to open up a consistent spot for him higher in the lineup.
It isn’t clear which forward the Flames are looking to move, but given their season is in a complete free fall, it shouldn’t come as a shock that (even just a minor) change could be on the horizon.
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