Flyers Trade Talk: Could a Rival Center Be an Option for Philly?

The Philadelphia Flyers are still in the hunt for a top-line center. While they have options like Trevor Zegras, who was recently moved back to the wing, or the defensivley reliable Christian Dvorak, the Flyers’ offensive struggles have continued, and the need for a No. 1 center remains evident.

Now, acquiring one is easier said than done. Teams with true No. 1 centers don’t just trade them. There are fewer true top-line centers than there are teams in the league. So, when one becomes available, the price becomes astronomical. Sure, the Flyers could wait for the futures of Connor McDavid or Auston Matthews to be determined and take a run at them.

Flyers lines tonight: projected lineup and starting goalie →

Other options include getting lucky in the draft lottery and being in position to draft one, who in all likelihood won’t be ready for another 3+ years down the road. Leaning internally doesn’t seem like much of a safe bet either. The Flyers’ pipeline is loaded at center, but it’s loaded with middle-six centermen. There is no inside solution for the lack of a 1C.

That leaves one remaining option: trade for someone who is not a true 1C now, but could function in that role on a playoff contender.

That’s where Boston Bruins’ center Pavel Zacha comes into play.

Could the Bruins Trade Pavel Zacha?

The Boston top center is in the final year of his 4-year, $4.75 million deal and is poised for quite the pay raise this coming summer. However, it’s been reported that the Bruins have been including their No. 1 center in trade offers. Why? Well, that’s because they “haven’t been close” in extension talks.

NHL insider Dave Pagnotta suggests that Zacha has been “dangled” by the Bruins in trade talks. Why would they do that? Well, the Bruins have Elias Lindholm, as well as Frasier Minten and James Hagens, sitting there waiting for a bigger role. Another top prospect, Matthew Proitas, is sitting there as well. And let’s not forget about the 6’7″ Dean Letourneau, who is 7 miles down the road at Boston College.

The Bruins are stacked at center for the future. So, if they can get a haul for a player who could very well walk for double his current salary or more this summer, they would be silly not to consider it.

Pagnotta discussed the possibility of the Bruins treating Zacha like their own trade deadline rental, which, if they’re in the hunt, could very well be a possibility. However, his name will likely generate a lot of chatter come deadline season.

So, what if a center-needy team, like the Flyers, were to jump in ahead of time?

Is an Eastern Conference rival’s top center an option for the Flyers at 1C? Let’s talk about his fit.

Would Pavel Zacha Fit What the Flyers Are Looking For?

The Flyers have shown a recent tendency to lean towards size in recent drafts. It’s showing their desire to get bigger on the ice. Most notably selected are the 6’7″ defenseman Maksim Sokolovskii and the 6’5″ center Jack Nesbitt, both of whom were first-rounders whose stock rose because of their size.

Right off the bat, Zacha checks that box. The Czech centerman is 6’4″ per NHL.com.

Goal scoring is something that the Flyers have lacked desperately. A 30+ goal-scorer is something the Flyers have rarely seen recently. Only Travis Konecny has scored 30 or more goals in a season, doing it both in 2022-23 and 2023-24. Before then, Sean Couturier was the last Flyer to do so before Konecny, doing it in teh 2018-19 season.

Zacha is coming off a career season, but he did tally 30 goals for the Bruins last season.

The Bruins’ center is also quite solid at the dot, contributing 3 straight seasons well above the 50% mark at the face-off dot.

Zacha is not just an offensive threat, but he is reliable on all 200 feet of the ice. He’s currently used on the Bruins’ second penalty-kill unit and has been a reliable PKer throughout his career.

Now, at age 29, that would put Zacha more in the time frame of the Travis Konecny, Christian Dvorak, Travis Sanheim core. But it still would keep a solid competitive window open for the Flyers.

One concerning stat for Zacha is that in 31 career playoff games, he has just 2 career postseason goals, one coming in each of his two most recent appearances. His “big game” showings have been lackluster thus far.

Not to mention, his career best year was last season, when he tallied 30 goals and 65 total points. Aside from that, he has just two 50+ point seasons.

Should the Flyers take a swing on Zacha, who will likely land a deal worth $9+ million a year, based on last season? Or should they leave it alone and keep waiting to find a 1C?

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