Brady Tkachuk makes his thoughts clear about Trevor Zegras' trade to Philadelphia Flyers

Brady Tkachuk talked about the trade in June that sent Trevor Zegras to the Philadelphia Flyers. Zegras was dealt by Anaheim for Ryan Poehling and two draft picks. The Ducks traded him because he wants to play center, and they acquired Chris Kreider for the role.

The Ottawa Senators captain said he skated with Zegras this summer in Connecticut and knows him well.

"I drove up to Connecticut and skated with him," Tkachuk said on Sunday, via ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski. "I've known 'Z' throughout the years but got to know him pretty well when we played world championships together. He's a great guy."

Brady thinks the trade will give Zegras a fresh start with the Flyers, who hired Rick Tocchet as their new coach.

"I think it's going to be great for him to get a fresh start in Philly and under Rick Tocchet," Tkachuk said. "They have a great culture there, and I think he's just going to do a good job of fitting in."

Zegras missed part of last season due to knee surgery but scored 32 points in 57 games. Philadelphia hopes Zegras can help fill their center position; however, the coach will decide if he plays center or wing.

Tkachuk praised the team’s culture and said Zegras will fit in nicely. He is also excited to see how Zegras improves next season.

"I've always thought playing against Philly that they play super hard, but they have a lot of great players with skill," Tkachuk said. "So, I think that is going to be the best thing for him. I'm excited to see his progression this year and see how the change affects him. I bet that's going to be for the good."

Flyers' GM Daniel Briere took a gamble with Trevor Zegras

The Philadelphia Flyers had a 33-39-10 record last season and missed the playoffs, struggling with scoring and special teams. Under Rick Tocchet next season, they want to improve.

Flyers general manager Daniel Briere believes Trevor Zegras has great talent and hopes he returns to top form.

"Top-six talents are very rarely available around the NHL," Briere said in June, via NHL.com. "We felt that was a risk worth taking for us. We've seen him in the past. He had those really good seasons at 20 and 21 years old... we hope he can find that magic again and take it to another level"

Young players like Zagras and Matvei Michkov are the team's new hope to help the team do better.