Oct 13, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Flyers center Trevor Zegras (46) and goaltender Dan Vladar (80) celebrate win against the Florida Panthers at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
(Note: Because of circumstances beyond my control on Saturday, I was unable to head downstairs to talk to the players or coach Rick Tocchet postgame. Any quotes used in this story were garnered from publicly released video of postgame availability with the media present at the game unless otherwise indicated.)
PHILADELPHIA - Trevor Zegras oozes skill. He also oozes personality.
Given the opportunity to let both be on full display, there's a real chance he could become something special.
The Flyers are giving him that opportunity, and so far it's paid off in spades.
Zegras scored his first two goals as a Flyer on Saturday. He also added another in a line of pretty assists. He scored a goal in the shootout, which is one of his specialties, and he otherwise provided the Flyers with flare and panache in a hard-fought 4-3 shootout victory over the rival New York Islanders.
On his first goal in orange and black, Zegras took a pass from Christian Dvorak, who he called his "good buddy" when Dvorak made a nice play to weave through the New York defense only to turn around and find Zegras cutting toward the middle of the ice. He told reporters he heard Zegras calling for the puck.
TREVOR ZEGRAS‼
His first goal as a member of the @NHLFlyers ties the game at two! pic.twitter.com/682AtbTS8y
Zegras said that's par for the course.
"I always call for the puck," Zegras told reporters with a chuckle. "I might not even be open and I scream for it. I'm just happy he found me on that one."
The Flyers are just happy he's having fun again on the ice.
After time in Anaheim went sour when he was moved from center to wing, had his playing time slashed, and even sat out a game or two, Zegras is back to feeling good about himself and having fun playing hockey on a team with several guys who he is tight with off the ice.
He and Jamie Drysdale were teammates and roommates in Anaheim. He's really close with Cam York and Dvorak as well. Assimilating onto the Flyers has been really easy for the outgoing 24-year-old.
So much so that through the Flyers first eight games, he is tied for the team lead with captain Sean Couturier in scoring with eight points.
And they're doing it by playing him as a "hybrid center" as coach Rick Tocchet likes to call it, where Zegras and Dvorak share the responsibilities of the position.
Dvorak takes most of the faceoff draws, as that is not one of Zegras' strong suits.
But after that it's based on the flow of the game.
"I think it has been going pretty good," Dvorak told reporters. "It's a good asset to have two guys who can be the low guy - be the centerman - in the D zone. We're comfortable with whatever guy is the first man back to be there and play that spot and the other guy can play the wing. I trust him the team trusts him down low and he's shown he can do that. He's been really good down low int he D zone."
Since putting them together on a line with Matvei Michkov, all three players have looked better. Dvorak is the defensively responsible guy while Zegras is the flashy playmaker and Michkov is the sniper.
Michkov is still playing catch-up, physically after not showing up to camp in shape due to a very minor ankle injury he suffered in August and combined with less-than ideal nutrition.
The Flyers are working with him on both moving forward, part of the plights of being a 20-year-old learning how to be a pro.
"It's almost like things came to easy for him last year," one team source told On Pattison before Saturday's game. "Yeah, he had a coach who was hard on him, but he was still able to score a bunch of points while still eating like a (teenager). He's learning that you can't do that as a pro."
The Flyers have Michkov working out more to try and get to where he needs to be. He's had some more chances. He had another breakaway on Saturday and didn't score, but he did get the game-winner in the shootout. It's a work in progress and will be one all season.
MATVEI MICHKOV SHOOTOUT WINNER!!!
THE #FLYERS WIN!!! pic.twitter.com/0h5qzcTGrV
There is a hope that when the Olympic break comes in February that Michkov eschews taking a vacation, like a lot of players will do, and keeps working to get into the shape he needs to be in for the stretch drive as the Flyers look to push to make the postseason for the first time since the Covid bubble season of 2019-2020.
But that will be up to him.
Another player has scuffled early in the season has been Sam Ersson, but he was excellent on Saturday. Making his first start in nine days, Ersson made 23 saves, including thwarting two separate 2-on-1 opportunities with huge saves on Jonathan Drouin in regulation and Bo Horvat in overtime.
OH MY SAMUEL ERSSON!! 😱
He keeps the @NHLFlyers alive in overtime! pic.twitter.com/6IMoQoOgvP
He then stopped two of the three shootout chances for New York, sealing the win for the Flyers.
"I'm just a big fan of guys that when they're not playing or things are not going their way - his attitude has been unreal all week," Tocchet told reporters. "He's been practicing hard and never complained. You root for (guys like that). You got to give him credit. It was a hell of a save on (Anthony) Duclair there at the end (of the shootout)."
The Flyers are 4-3-1 after eight games. They still struggle to get enough shots on goal. Their scoring, overall, is not where it needs to be. But they're playing decent defensively, killing penalties at a very high rate, and for the most part have gotten good goaltending through the first tenth of the season.
There's a long way to go, but this team has a little different feel this year than in the previous few. This team feels like it can compete and could be a playoff team. It's got a little bit of spunk - as evidenced by two fights Saturday and a shift that landed the entire fourth line in the penalty box at one time, which Zegras described as "pretty cool."
But they will only go as far as their skill players can take them. That's why it's important to monitor the extra work Michkov is going to have to put in to get where he needs to be.
But it's equally important to monitor how Zegras fares in this hybrid role. So far, so good. The one thing you never have to worry about, though, is his personality. That's always going to be there, no matter what.
"Full transparency ... he's a pretty outgoing guy," Drysdale said with a smile. "He fit in probably day one. The second he got here. He's a great guy and a great fit for this team. He's high energy and an awesome player. We're just real lucky to have him."
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 (10/29) will be at Chickie's and Pete's of Drexel Hill, 5035 Township Line Rd., Upper Darby, PA.
