The Philadelphia Flyers were on the ropes in their home opener. They squandered a 2-0 lead, and with the score even at 2, they looked poised to blow it against the reigning champion Florida Panthers team. Insert Zrevor Zegras. 

This team needed a hero. They needed someone to step up to regain the momentum, and Zegras delivered. His centering pass to Sean Couturier gave the Flyers the 3-2 lead and ultimately allowed them to win the game 5-2. It was his breakout moment with the Flyers and the fanbase, and Zegras is ready to make his mark as a key part of the lineup. 

The Flyers Bet on Zegras

The Flyers acquired Zegras when his value was at a career low. He went from back-to-back 23-goal seasons, including a 2022-23 season where he had 23 goals and 42 assists, to only 12 goals and 20 assists in his final season with the Anaheim Ducks. He looked like damaged goods in his last season in Southern California. The Flyers were betting on his upside. 

Zegras has all the skills to become a star in the NHL. He’s shown flashes of it as well. He can score, find open skaters, and lead rushes. Moreover, he’s a game-changer, someone who can change the complexion os the game on a given shift. 

That’s what happened against the Panthers on Monday night. The 24-year-old center controlled the puck behind the net and centered it to the open skater. It’s the first of many plays that the Flyers are expecting from him. They saw his flashes with the Ducks and are hoping they become a more consistent part of his game. It’s not just the offense that has the Flyers excited about what Zegras can provide. 

The Under-The-Radar Value of Zegras

The Flyers expect their skaters to play a two-way game. Certainly, this is the expectation under head coach Rick Tocchet. It’s one thing to score and play a North-South style but it’s another to also defend. It’s why Nikita Grebenkin went from a prospect to a player favored in the eyes of the coaching staff. 

Zegras defends and steps up in the middle of the ice. He breaks up passes and creates turnovers from the center position, and when needed, he will play the shooting lanes. The Flyers need help on the defensive end, so seeing Zegras leaning into that two-way role can go a long way. 

The speed allows him to be that type of player. Zegras is a great skater in a league where there are plenty of them. That said, he uses his skating to impact the game in multiple ways, including defensively. It’s what will allow the Flyers to be a competitive team down the road. 

How The Flyers Will Get The Most Out Of Him

Tocchet will have Zegras centering one of the lines in the forward unit. There were questions about whether he belonged on the wing or needed to remain a center but the middle of the ice is where he makes his biggest impact. Zegras can remain a playmaker from that spot, and depending on who his wingers are, he can be a scorer as well. 

The Flyers can build their rebuild, which is searching for young core players, around Zegras. Ideally, the star of the future is Matvei Michkov, the elite winger in his second NHL season. However, based on how the season is playing out, Zegras can take over as the star in the lineup. 

The Flyers got into the win column for the first time all season with the help of their young center. Now, they hope to have the turnaround and the rebuild led by Zegras with plenty of highlight moments in the process. 

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