The Philadelphia Flyers expect to avoid an arbitration hearing with two key restricted free agents.
Bill Meltzer reported that both Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale contracts should get hammered out before arbitration, citing two separate organizational sources close to the talks.
Zegras put up 67 points in 81 games this season, adding 26 goals and settling in at an even rating after a full year in Philadelphia.
Drysdale added 32 points in 78 games on the back end, chipping in 8 goals and 24 assists while logging real minutes on a young blue line.
Philadelphia finished 43-27-12 for 98 points this season, 11th overall, a real step forward that raises the stakes on locking up both pieces long term.
Meltzer's sourcing points to real confidence that neither situation drags into a hearing, and that kind of certainty doesn't come from nowhere.
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Why locking up both deals matters for Philadelphia's core
Zegras carries a $5,750,000 cap hit right now, while Drysdale sits at $2,300,000, numbers that will only grow once new deals get finalized.
Both players also played real playoff roles, with Zegras adding 6 points in 10 games and Drysdale chipping in 4 points in 10 games this past postseason.
GM Daniel Briere has quietly built a core around exactly these two names, and getting them signed before camp opens keeps that timeline on track.
Coach Rick Tocchet has leaned on both players in real situations already, not just development minutes, which only strengthens the case for locking them in now.
Avoiding arbitration on two contracts at once is no small thing for a front office trying to build real stability.
If both deals get done quietly this summer, that's a real sign of where this team and its young core actually stand.
Should the Flyers prioritize Trevor Zegras or Jamie Drysdale in contract talks?
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