Danny Briere: “We Never Thought Michkov Would Be There”
The Philadelphia Flyers are relevant again! The organization made drastic changes to the front office this season, ushering in the Danny Breier/Keith Jones era of Flyers hockey. The duo used the dreaded “R” word that previous GM’s treated like Harry Potter’s friends treated Voldermort. They refused to say “rebuild.” But one of the first things Briere did when getting the job was admitting that the team would be trying to get younger through a rebuild and there was a definitive plan in place. The plan took shape at the draft.
In a year where Connor Bedard became a household name to even the non-hockey fan, the Flyers grabbed another franchise talent in Matvei Michkov with the 7th overall pick. Michkov, who dropped in the draft because of a 3 year contract with his KHL team, would likely have been the 1st overall pick in any other year. Getting a player of Michkov’s caliber at 3 was a coup.
“It was an exciting draft… We never thought that a talent of Matvei Michkov’s level would be available at 7,” Briere told the group. “This was one chance to get a player of that caliber because of everything that’s happening in the world, so we’re pretty excited. The downside is we have to wait for him a little bit, but it kind of fits what we’re trying to do.”
The Flyers made an interesting move in the 2nd and 3rd round by taking back to back goaltenders. Briere went on to explain the philosophy behind those selections.
“I know a lot of people raised an eyebrow when we drafted back-to-back goalies in the 2nd and the 3rd round. We didn’t have a 2nd round pick, so we wanted to move up and make sure we secured a goalie because we didn’t draft one last year. We want to keep building the stable of goaltending in the organization.”
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8 Games Worth Anticipating On The Flyers Schedule Next Season
Oct. 12th - Season Opener at Columbus Blue Jackets
The season opener is obviously always worth looking forward to. It is the return of hockey. It may end up being not so great hockey. But it is still hockey. Though the opponent may drum up some not-so-great memories of our former GM. Columbus is where Johnny Gaudreau wound up after Chuck Fletcher couldn’t bring him to Philly. Plus, it will be the first time they see Provorov after trading him.
(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Oct. 17th - Home Opener vs Vancouver Canucks
Likewise, the Home Opener is another game always worth looking forward to. They will face the Canucks this year when they play their first game at the Wells Fargo Center. Even if the product isn’t great, the home opener is always a good time. it will be a packed house, and even if the game doesn’t go our way, it should still be a fun time just by virtue of being opening day. Losing may make it even better actually, since it is what we want them to do.
(Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Oct 24th- Flyers on the Road vs the Golden Knights
Want to see what a good hockey team looks like? They will get that chance when they travel to Vegas to play the reigning champions. A team that in just several years of existence have done what the Flyers haven’t been able to do in 50. Hell, they have played in two Stanley Cups in that time. As far as road trips worth taking to see the Flyers, this is probably top of the list. You likely wont get to the see a win, but you will see one really good team at least. And going to Vegas is never a bad time either.
(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
November 19th- Provorov's First Game Back in Philly
As mentioned, they will play Ivan Provorov for the first time to open the season. But the first time he returns to the Flyers will be November 19th. Ivan was supposed to be the next great defender for the Flyers. Instead he kind of fizzled out here. Was it that he was just not that good? Or did the Flyers fail to make use of his talents. Either way, it should make for a decent storyline when he returns to Philly.
(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Dec 7th- On the Road vs Coyotes
The goal of the season is to get the best draft pick possible. One of their greatest competitors for the best odds in the lottery will be the Coyotes. A franchise so in the dumps they don’t even have a real building to play in. This may be a game you want to tune into, just to see how it impacts the Flyers chances in the lottery.
(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
January 23rd- Lightning Come to Town
Keith Jones told us that the Lightning are one of the teams you should try to emulate when building a team. They didn’t make much noise this year, going out early in the playoffs. But before that they were in the last 3 Stanley Cups, and won two of them. Not a bad team to try in follow the footsteps of. So it may be worth paying attention to them when they come to town. Becaus what the Lighniting have turned into as a franchise is how Keith Jones is modelling this team’s rebuild.
(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Feb 17th- Stadium Series Game at Met Life vs the Devils
Despite the meager expectations for the Flyers this season, they are in one of the Stadium Series games this year. They will take on the Devils at Met Life Stadium in February. Weather can sometimes ruin these games. But it is a cool sight to see when mother nature cooperates. If you haven’t been before, Met Life Stadium is not that difficult to get to via train. Even if the game doesn’t go the Flyers way, it could still be a fun night at Met Life.
(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
March 30th- Connor Bedard Comes to Philly
The Flyers did not win the Connor Bedard sweepstakes. They weren’t bad enough this past year, and he is going to the Blackhawks instead. But we will at least get a chance to watch him play in person. The Blackhawks, along with Connor Bedard, are playing in Philly at the end of March. When your team is as bad as the Flyers will be this season, you plan what games you go to more around who the other team is. And with how special Connor Bedard could be, that is the type of game worth going to.
(Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
