The Philadelphia Flyers hired former NHL star Daniel Briere as their GM three years ago. In that time, Briere has transformed the Flyers into one of the league's up-and-coming teams.
Daniel Briere has quietly had a successful tenure as general manager of the Philadelphia Flyers, even if he's not getting recognition for it.
The Flyers are far from a finished product, but there's a lot to like about what Briere has been building.
They finished 21st in the league last season in goals per-game (2.93), but their goals-against average of 2.91 was 10th-overall in the league. Good things have already been happening.
After a second-round exit in the Stanley Cup Playoffs earlier this year, Briere went out and extended last summer’s big acquisition, Trevor Zegras, after a career-best 26-goal, 67-point season. Zegras signed a four-year contract extension worth $9.1-million per-season, and the 25-year-old still has room to grow.
Meanwhile, Briere improved his team’s goaltending with the trade for Joseph Woll. The former Toronto Maple Leafs netminder does bring some risk as he’s had trouble staying healthy, but so long as Flyers coach Rick Tocchet doesn’t play Woll more than half the season, he'll help this team.
The beauty of what Briere has done this summer is that, even after adding Woll, depth defenseman Simon Benoit, and veteran forward Noel Acciari, the Flyers still have $13.7-million in salary cap space.
Eventually, Briere will invest much of that cap space in up-and-coming star winger Porter Martone, who is a favorite to win this year’s Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s best rookie. But squeezing Martone into the Flyers’ cap picture is a problem Briere will love to have.
Sometimes the optics of the Jim Gregory Award is that it’s a lifetime achievement award, but there’s no question Briere deserves his flowers as one of the NHL’s best young executives.
Contrast what Briere has done in Philadelphia with the struggles of Detroit Red Wings outgoing GM Steve Yzerman and New York Rangers GM Chris Drury, and you’ll see the Flyers were wise hiring Briere.
Not every former player can translate their on-ice skills to become a highly-successful team architect, but that’s what’s happened with Briere in Philadelphia. He hasn’t created a championship team, but the Flyers are significantly better than the team he inherited.
Hiring Tocchet was a home run, and Briere has shown he has the stones to take big swings in trades and free-agency. Just ask the Anaheim Ducks and GM Pat Verbeek how they feel about the Flyers after their offer-sheet to star Anaheim center Leo Carlsson.
The Ducks matched that offer sheet, but Briere sent a shot across the league’s bow by trying to poach Carlsson. He’s unafraid to ruffle the feathers of other executives around the league, and we could see more bold moves from Briere & Co. moving forward.
Flyers fans won’t be satisfied unless Briere creates a Cup-winning team, but they have to be pleased about the beginning of this new era. The Flyers have lessons to learn and room to grow, but Briere is doing his part to craft a championship team.
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