The Flyers are heading into the final stretch before the Olympic break, and it’s clear they’re still searching for answers. With just two wins in their last ten games and a three-game losing streak hanging over them, the team is trying just about anything to spark a turnaround.
The latest move? A roster shuffle that sends Lane Pederson back to the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
Pederson Heads Back to Lehigh Valley
Pederson was originally called up on January 18 to fill in for the injured Rodrigo Abols. He logged five games with the Flyers but saw limited minutes on the fourth line and didn’t quite find his footing offensively. With his reassignment, the Flyers now have a bit more flexibility down the middle, even as they continue to carry a couple of extra forwards on the roster.
While his stint in the NHL didn’t make a major impact, Pederson’s return is a big win for the Phantoms. He’s been a key driver for Lehigh Valley this season - their leading scorer and a central figure in setting the tone both in pace and offensive generation.
His presence has often been the catalyst for the Phantoms’ best stretches of play. With the team starting to find its rhythm again, thanks in part to contributions from players like Tucker Robertson and Karsen Dorwart, getting Pederson back in the lineup could provide a timely boost.
We may even see him back on the ice as soon as tomorrow night against Bridgeport.
Zegras at Center: A Work in Progress
Pederson’s departure also clears a path for the Flyers to continue their experiment with Trevor Zegras at center - a move that’s been in the works since the summer. After toying with a hybrid role for much of the first half of the season, the Flyers are now giving Zegras a real opportunity to show what he can do in the middle of the ice.
The early returns? Let’s just say they’ve been rough.
In his first full game at center, skating alongside Matvei Michkov and Bobby Brink in Boston, Zegras’s line struggled to generate much of anything. They controlled just 22.22% of shot attempts and a mere 12.92% of expected goals - numbers that paint a clear picture of how tilted the ice was against them.
They were also on the ice for a goal against, and their pairing with the defensive duo of Nick Seeler and Noah Juulsen didn’t help matters. Fatigue may have played a role, but even with that context, the performance was far from encouraging.
Still, this is a project the Flyers need to see through. The team’s center depth has been shaky all season.
Sean Couturier, Noah Cates, and Christian Dvorak are all under contract, but none have consistently locked down the role of a top-six pivot. Beyond them, the pipeline is thin - there’s no clear-cut call-up candidate banging on the door, and their top center prospects like Jett Luchanko, Jack Berglund, and Jack Nesbitt are still developing overseas or in junior.
So if the Flyers want to improve their center group without dipping into the trade market, Zegras might be their best shot. He’s not a guaranteed solution, but his skill set is undeniable. What he lacks in polish at center, he makes up for in pure talent - and in a lineup that’s often starved for offensive creativity, finding a way to unlock a more versatile, impactful version of Zegras could be a game-changer.
The Flyers don’t need him to be the savior. But they do need more skill, more spark, and more options. And if Zegras can find his footing down the middle, he could be a big part of the answer.