Reaction: Flyers Terminate Johansen's Contract As GM Briere Continues To Establish New Culture

Off and on over the years, Philadelphia Flyers star players have occasionally had their run of the city.

Veterans like Mike Richards and Jeff Carter knew they were central to the Flyers’ blueprint for success and reportedly acted like it. 

But as we’re seeing under current GM Daniel Briere, those days are over. And Philly’s latest notable move – waiving forward Ryan Johansen for the purpose of terminating his contract – is another indication this is a new era for the Flyers and one that puts the franchise first above all else.

There are a number of things we don’t know about Briere’s decision to end Johansen’s tenure with the team. In a statement Tuesday, the Flyers did not elaborate on the events that led to terminating Johansen’s contract. Like the situation in Chicago last season, where winger Corey Perry’s contract was terminated, we’re unlikely to learn exactly what triggered the end of Johansen’s time in Philadelphia. 

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman also said Johansen will likely contest the termination with a grievance, which means it's too soon to say whether anybody's right or wrong.

However, a quick look back shows us that Briere and Flyers brass are unwilling to bend too much for the players.

For instance, there’s the Cutter Gauthier situation, in which the NHL prospect decided he didn’t want to play for the Flyers. Rather than cushion their response to him, the Flyers traded Gauthier to Anaheim for defenseman Jamie Drysdale, and they made Gauthier's thoughts public soon after. The team came first for Briere, and regardless of how much talent Gauthier had, the Flyers weren’t going to keep him around and try to persuade him to change his mind.

And now, Johansen will soon be an ex-Flyer, less than six months after Briere acquired him from Colorado. Injuries prevented Johansen from playing a single game for Philadelphia, but although he’s just a few years removed from a 26-goal, 63-point season with the Nashville Predators, Johansen became persona non grata for the Flyers. He’ll become a UFA tomorrow once he clears waivers.

At age 32, Johansen will likely draw interest from some teams if he gets healthy again, just like Perry did after the Blackhawks cut him loose. But for the Flyers, the move appears to be about continuing to establish a new culture rather than working together with Johansen on a solution and having him on the long-term injured reserve if he's still injured.

Philadelphia is still a couple of years away from being a legitimate Stanley Cup contender, but Briere’s recent moves are all about sending a message to the rest of the team and to the NHL. This new day for the Flyers is the opposite of a country club atmosphere. If you’re not buying into Briere’s philosophy, you’re not going to be long for Philly. 

The message may be more nuanced than that, but the bottom line is now crystal clear. And that even goes for Flyers captain Sean Couturier, who was a healthy scratch not long after being given the ‘C.’ The aura of veteran coach John Tortorella lingers throughout these recent decisions, but Briere is ultimately responsible for the direction.

Flyers fans are smart enough to recognize Briere is going about the rebuild the right way, and this latest news about Johansen should also give Flyers fans reason to be optimistic about the future.

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