NHL rumors: Will Flyers re-sign Trevor Zegras, Jamie Drysdale before arbitration?

Although the Philadelphia Flyers were unable to pull off the splash of the offseason when the record-setting offer sheet they tendered to Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson was matched, the organization still has important offseason business to complete.

The Flyers’ most critical remaining priorities are restricted free agents Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale, who have both filed for arbitration. Zegras’ hearing is set for July 22, with Drysdale’s scheduled for a few days earlier on July 20.

But Philly reporter Bill Meltzer believes both players will be signed before an arbitrator needs to get involved.

“From two org sources: Flyers expect both the Zegras and Drysdale contracts to be hammered out ahead of arbitration,” he wrote on Tuesday. “Don’t anticipate either going to a hearing.”

That comes just days after The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz reported that a team source told him he “doesn’t expect those cases to be necessary, but the team is currently preparing as if they will be.”

Kurz also mentioned that, as of last week, there was nothing imminent regarding a contract extension for either player.

Zegras emerged into one of the team’s most important players in 2025-26, amassing career-highs across the board with 26 goals and 67 points in 81 games.

Drysdale was excellent from the blue line, averaging over 21 minutes of ice time per game while serving as Philadelphia’s No. 3 defenseman behind Travis Sanheim and Cam York. He ended up finishing the campaign with 32 points in 78 games, tying his career-high, which he set as a member of the Ducks back in 2021-22.

The Flyers are flush with cap space, with just under $30 million available, according to PuckPedia. They should be able to get both players locked up and still have significant space to make another move or two before training camp.

It’s not surprising that general manager Danny Briere would want to prioritize signing them as soon as possible, especially with Carlsson’s $18 million AAV not on the books. Otherwise, both players could wind up on one-year arbitration awards.

CapWages and AFP Analytics pencil Zegras in at a five-year, $41 million extension, with Drysdale making just over $43 million over six years.

If those projections prove close to accurate, Briere and the front office would still have roughly $15 million in cap space to continue reshaping Philadelphia’s roster before training camp opens.

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