The Flyers have just announced another unexpected great signing…
The Philadelphia Flyers have never been major players in the free agency market, but occasionally the smallest changes can have the most impact.
Daniel Briere, the recently appointed general manager of the Philadelphia Flyers, may be the only person who truly understands this. After running his first-ever NHL draft, Briere arranged his first two free agent signings this past weekend. When he was playing, Briere selected Denver Barkey in the draft, who is a player who is somewhat similar to Briere. Naturally, Briere was selected by the Phoenix Coyotes with the 24th overall pick in the 1996 NHL Draft. He later played for the Coyotes and Buffalo Sabres before joining the Philadelphia Flyers.
Once upon a time, the Philadelphia Flyers and Daniel Briere agreed to an eight-year, $52 million contract on July 1, 2007. Despite being bought out of his contract on June 20, 2013, Briere left Philadelphia with the distinction of being a franchise legend. Briere played in 364 games for the Philadelphia Flyers for six years, scoring 124 goals and 283 points. Briere scored 72 points and 37 goals in 68 games during the playoffs. To put it succinctly, Daniel Briere excelled more during his time with the Flyers than any other team.
Daniel Briere also spent a number of years leading the Philadelphia Flyers organization. Young future stars like Claude Giroux, Brayden Schenn, Jakub Voracek, Sergei Bobrovsky, James van Riemsdyk, Sean Couturier, Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, and Braydon Coburn were all coached by Briere while he was living in Philadelphia. With Briere gone, the Philadelphia Flyers have only once advanced past the second round of the playoffs since his departure in 2013. They also failed to win a Stanley Cup in his tenure, losing out in 2010. In a few years, the Philadelphia Flyers have the potential to alter that with Briere back in the mix and in command. In just a few years, Briere’s guidance as a player helped a struggling, inexperienced team return to the race. Briere is the one who knows what the Flyers need to succeed once more.
