The Philadelphia Flyers are playoff-bound. GM Daniel Briere made three acquisitions in two weeks last summer that defined their season.
Danny Briere was known as 'Mr. Playoffs' when he played for the Philadelphia Flyers and starred in the post-season.
Now, as the Flyers' GM, he is being lauded for getting his long-suffering franchise into the playoffs.
The Flyers, in a dramatic shootout, clinched their first playoff spot since 2020 with a rousing 3-2 comeback win Monday over the Carolina Hurricanes at the reverberating Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Briere's fingerprints are all over the Flyers' climb from 76 points last season to 96 points (with one game left) this year.
He made three major off-season moves – acquiring Trevor Zegras and signing free agents Christian Dvorak and Dan Vladar – and all paid huge dividends for Philadelphia. All three are having career seasons.
Vladar, channeling goaltender Brian Boucher in the playoff-clinching, 2010 regular-season finale against the New York Rangers, stopped all four shooters in Monday's shootout to help give the Flyers their biggest win in eons.
"He's been our backbone," right winger Owen Tippett said. "The emotion Vlady plays with and the excitement he has (is contagious). He's the guy who always has a smile on his face, and I've never played with a goalie who's been that vocal – both on the ice, off the ice. In the TV timeout, he's always coming by and keeping us going."
Briere gives credit to the players for the Flyers' improbable run to a playoff berth. But they acknowledge what the GM has done for them.
"Vlady has been arguably our MVP this year; he's been incredible, and the same thing with Ziggy (Zegras). He could be our MVP, too," Dvorak said.
Briere also hung onto top-pairing defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen (plus-10) at the trade deadline. Maybe it was because he wasn't offered enough in return. Or maybe he thought the Flyers could go on a winning streak and get into the playoffs.
Whatever the reason, keeping Ristolainen – who will be in the playoffs for the first time in his 13-year career – solidified the defense.
The Flyers are 17-7-1 since the Olympic break, the second-best record in the NHL in that span, behind only Buffalo (18-4-2).
Here's a look at Briere's season-defining moves in the summer:
Vladar Signs Two-Year Deal For $3.35 Million Annually
A career understudy, Vladar was expected to be Samuel Ersson's backup.
Instead, he emerged as one of the NHL's most consistent goaltenders.
He has a 29-14-7 record, along with a 2.42 goals-against average and .906 save percentage. The 28-year-old goalie is third in the NHL in goals-against average among goalies who played at least 10 games and has set several personal bests this season.
"Ideally, we're looking for a one-year deal, but we realized that to get some help, we needed to step it up a little bit," Briere said at the time of the signing. "But when he told us that he wanted to come, we jumped on it."
This was an A-plus signing, and as it turned out, the most important move of the off-season.
Dvorak Signs One-Year $5.4 Million Deal
Dvorak has played so well that he was given a five-year extension in early January with a $5.15-million annual cap hit.
The 30-year-old Illinois native has 51 points – by far a career high – and has equalled his personal best with 18 goals. He has also excelled in the faceoff circle.
Briere said Dvorak has played a pivotal role in the team's success, citing his strong two-way play and saying "he can be trusted in all situations." He also praised how he has fit in "seamlessly" in the club's tight-knit dressing room.
Flyers Acquire Zegras In Exchange For Ryan Poehling, 2025 Second And 2026 Fourth
Zegras, now 25, has scored numerous key goals – none bigger than his power-play tally Monday that tied the game at 2-2 – and has helped the Flyers immensely in shootouts.
He has set career highs in goals (26) and points (67) and is a huge part of the Flyers' future.
When acquired, Zegras was coming off two disappointing seasons, but Briere thought it was a risk worth taking because of the forward's earlier years.
"We feel good about it because of what he’s shown in the past," Briere said after making the trade. "And we hope he can find that magic again and then take it to another level."
He has done just that. Same with Vladar and Dvorak.
Bottom line: thanks to Briere's shrewd moves, the Flyers are finally playoff-bound.
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