By Canadian Press

Anaheim Ducks trade Trevor Zegras to Philadelphia Flyers for Ryan Poehling and draft picks

Jun 23, 2025 | 11:55 AM

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The Anaheim Ducks traded Trevor Zegras to the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday, ending the exciting forward’s inconsistent half-decade in Orange County.

The Ducks get forward Ryan Poehling and the 45th overall pick in the upcoming draft that initially belonged to Columbus, along with a fourth-round pick next season.

Zegras was the Ducks’ first-round pick in 2019, and he had two 60-point seasons early in his NHL career. He finished as the runner-up to Detroit’s Moritz Seider in 2022 for the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie.

Zegras also became well known outside Anaheim for his proficiency with the Michigan goal, in which a player lifts the puck with his stick blade and wraps it into the net from behind.

But the 24-year-old Zegras struggled with injuries and consistency for the past two seasons, scoring just 47 points in 88 combined games. He had 12 goals and 20 assists in 57 games last season, increasing his production at midseason after a slow start and a 22-game absence with a knee injury.

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Zegras’ commitment to defense was also widely questioned in Anaheim, although he appeared to make significant strides on that side of the ice last season.

Zegras has been a frequent topic of trade rumors for the past two seasons, and the buzz finally culminated in this deal by general manager Pat Verbeek.

“While this was a difficult trade to make, we have and will continue to look at retooling our roster over the next couple of months, and this transaction is part of that process,” Verbeek said in a statement. “We wish Trevor the best of luck with the Flyers.”

Zegras remained a fan favorite at Honda Center throughout his tenure with the Ducks, who hired coach Joel Quenneville last month with the stated goal to return to the playoffs next spring after a seven-year absence. The Ducks also recently acquired longtime Rangers forward Chris Kreider, who works out with New York native Zegras in the summer.

The Flyers made another major deal with the Ducks in January 2024, with GM Danny Briere sending disgruntled forward Cutter Gauthier to Anaheim for defenseman Jamie Drysdale, Zegras’ longtime friend.

Gauthier had a strong rookie season for Anaheim with 20 goals and 24 assists, while Drysdale scored 20 points with a minus-32 rating last season for the Flyers.

Philadelphia also has a new coach for the upcoming season with the hiring of Rick Tocchet.

The 26-year-old Poehling had 12 goals and 19 assists in 68 games as a depth forward for Philadelphia last season. After starting his career in Montreal and getting traded to Pittsburgh for the 2022-23 season, he signed with the Flyers as a free agent and produced the best two offensive seasons of his career.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL

Greg Beacham, The Associated Press