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Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale filed for salary arbitration on Sunday, July 5, 2026, ahead of the NHL deadline.
This is standard for restricted free agents (RFA’s) when contract talks stall. They are two of 15 players league-wide who filed, including notable names like Jason Robertson (Dallas Stars).
Key Details:
- What filing means: It triggers a potential arbitration hearing (July 20–August 1 window) where an independent arbitrator decides a one-year salary based on comparable players. Both sides present cases, and the decision is binding.
- Most common outcome: Teams and players almost always reach a settlement before a hearing. Flyers GM Danny Briere has expressed confidence in getting deals done.
- Offer sheet protection: Filing makes them ineligible for offer sheets from other teams, which benefits the Flyers by removing that risk.
Player Context:
- Trevor Zegras (forward, coming off a strong season with the Flyers after prior time with Anaheim) is a key offensive piece. His previous deal had a $5.75M AAV; expectations are for a significant raise.
- Jamie Drysdale (defenseman) had a prior $2.3M AAV contract. He’s arbitration-eligible and performed well recently.
The Flyers, who ended a playoff drought, are prioritizing re-signing these young core players. Negotiations will likely continue, with arbitration serving as leverage rather than a likely endpoint. Both contracts could be on hold, pending the outcome of the Leo Carlsson offer sheet, as well.
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