Trevor Zegras, Matvei Michkov, and Christian Dvorak are connecting seamlessly on the Flyers’ line

Things are going pretty well for Trevor Zegras right now.

The offseason acquisition from the Anaheim Ducks is back to playing center. He and his right winger, Matvei Michkov, have bonded, and he has a familiar face on his left in veteran forward Christian Dvorak.

“When he was in Montreal [with the Canadiens], he was real good buddies with Cole Caufield,” said Zegras, who played with Caufield on the U.S. National Team Development Program team.

“So I’ve gotten to know Devo over the last however many years. So it’s actually pretty funny that we ended up on the line, because whenever we play Montreal, he’s in Anaheim, we end up going to dinner, hanging out.”

Although there are no guarantees they stick once the puck drops Oct. 9 on opening night at Florida, they will be hanging out on the ice on Saturday when the Flyers host the Boston Bruins at the Xfinity Mobile Arena. Zegras and Michkov will bring creativity and flair, and Dvorak is a steady, reliable forward who can be the defensive compass for the young stars.

“Yeah, I think if things get a little crazy out there, he can calm things down with his positional play,” coach Rick Tocchet said. “In the Montreal [preseason] game, I thought, obviously, we didn’t have the greatest first [period], but the second, third we came a little because Devo, he can settle things down. Good positional player, good draw guy. And he wants to add more offense to his game.”

» READ MORE: For Trevor Zegras, the trade to the Flyers is not just a refresh, it is also a homecoming of sorts

The 29-year-old Dvorak, who signed as a free agent on July 1, brings with him 105 goals in 534 regular-season games. His career high in a season is 18, scored during the 2019-20 COVID-shortened season as a member of the Arizona Coyotes.

On the Coyotes bench was another familiar face for Dvorak in Tocchet. Their past is part of the reason why Dvorak came to Philly.

“Definitely, it for sure helps to have him,” Dvorak said. “I had him for four years in Arizona, so I know the way he coaches and everything.

“It was like seven, eight years ago, so it’s been a while, but yeah, you definitely remember some similarities and things like that. The system hasn’t changed all too much. I’m sure he’s tweaked a couple of things — it’s been a while — [and] everyone learns a little more as we go. So yeah, but it’s pretty similar.”

And while Tocchet wants him on the line with two high-end players because he’d “like to have the third guy somewhat responsible,” now playing alongside Zegras and Michkov should help give him that boost to his offensive game, too.

“The job’s to get the puck to them, right? They know what to do with it,” Dvorak said. “So win battles in the corners, get pucks back and the puck in their hands, and they’ll make special plays with it.”

Zegras knows that playing with Dvorak adds someone trustworthy, very skilled, and a 200-foot player. Dvorak, who hails from Illinois, can play wing or center and is talented in the faceoff circle. Last season, he won 55.8% of his faceoffs — including 56.08% at five-on-five — and took the majority in the defensive zone.

The plan is for Zegras, who is shifting back to center after being pushed to the wing the past few seasons in Anaheim, to get his reps at the faceoff dot. Dvorak isn’t there, necessarily, to be a fail-safe, but Tocchet knows the veteran needs to get his reps in, too.

And Zegras? “If he wants to take a couple of draws,” he said about Dvorak, “he’s more than welcome.”

While Zegras knows one of his wingers well in Dvorak, he’s building a relationship with his other winger, Michkov. The two youngsters — Zegras is 24 and Michkov will be 21 in December — were each selected in the top 10 of their draft class and come with immense talent.

They have been spending a lot of time on the ice well after practice, working together on one end of the rink. To observers, it looks like they’re developing their chemistry on the ice. In reality, it’s just two kids who love hockey.

“We just like playing shinny,” Zegras said. “It’s like the best part of practice is [that] and he’s the only guy that likes to stay out there with me. We play this game, like we try to hit the crossbar, and he hasn’t beaten me yet, so he gets very upset. So usually when we’re out there, we’re playing crossbar.”

According to Zegras, the ultracompetitive Michkov can’t hit the crossbar and isn’t too happy.

“That’s why we had to do the shootout thing,” Zegras said, “because he could beat me in that.”

The Flyers announced on Saturday that they have assigned center Jack Nesbitt and defenseman Spencer Gill to their respective junior teams.

Selected in the second round in 2024, the 6-foot-4, 213-pound Gill played one preseason game and will rejoin Blainville-Boisbriand of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League.

Nesbitt, who was the No. 12 pick in June, is just 18 years old and has been impressive. He played two preseason games and set up Rodrigo Ābols for a goal against the New York Islanders.

» READ MORE: Not much good for Flyers in preseason loss to the Capitals. ‘Tough night for a lot of guys.’

“For me, what impressed is [that] he’s 18. I love his frame, and for a young kid, he’s a really intelligent player,” Tocchet said on Saturday of the 6-5, 200-pound center. “There’s a lot to like with him. Obviously, he’s a young player and he’s got to fill in. ... I thought he’s had a really good camp.”

And what does the bench boss think he needs to focus on when he heads back to play for Windsor of the Ontario Hockey League, aside from getting stronger?

“Pretty good skater for a big guy. The patience with the puck. He’s a great draw-man,” Tocchet said. “There’s not a lot of flaws in his game, it’s just about maturity and consistency right now for him, and knowing the pro game like any 18-year-old.”