Don’t Dismiss Danny Briere’s Biggest Strength as Flyers GM
Keith Jones sent the Twittosphere into another frenzy with his recent comments on 97.5 The Fanatic. The passionate and loyal Philadelphia Flyers fan base questioned his optimism about the organization’s…
Keith Jones sent the Twittosphere into another frenzy with his recent comments on 97.5 The Fanatic. The passionate and loyal Philadelphia Flyers fan base questioned his optimism about the organization’s rebuild.
A barren market in NHL free agency, the lack of projected impact centers or top defensemen in the prospect pool, and the brutal stretch outside the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2020 legitimize their skepticism.
However, Jones also identified the greatest strength Danny Briere has developed during his three years as general manager.
Keith Jones Backs GM Danny Briere
The decision not to move Rasmus Ristolainen ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline drew its fair share of criticism. The Flyers remained firm on their high asking price for the 6-foot-4 bruiser. Briere didn’t accept a consolation prize for a player under contract through 2026-27.
“If the right deal is not there, we’re never going to make it. We’re only going to make the deal that makes the Flyers better in the future. I think Danny’s done a great job of showing patience in the deals he has made, and I think he’s got a really good feel for what a player’s value is.”
Photo by Colin Newby | BBGI PhiladelphiaThe Flyers will shop Ristolainen during the NHL offseason hoping for a better return package. The decision also carries the risk that a player with serious injury questions doesn’t finish the season healthy.
However, there’s no denying that Jones based his compliment on Briere’s most successful moves in the Flyers front office.
“Most importantly, he’s established who he is. He sets his price, and the price does not budge, within reason. For other general managers that are getting used to Danny’s style, they understand that in two years down the road, they don’t think back (and get a more favorable deal.)”
Danny Briere Harnessing Trade Leverage
Briere has shown the ability to navigate the trade market by maintaining leverage in tough situations. The current front office inherited disgruntled top prospect Cutter Gauthier from the Chuck Fletcher regime. They subtly kept Gauthier’s trade demands under wraps.
Gauthier impressed at the 2023-24 World Juniors in the days leading up to a deal with the Anaheim Ducks on January 9, 2024. When Briere joined Tim Saunders and Todd Fedoruk on 97.5 The Fanatic the night of the infamous midgame trade, he revealed that the star performance pushed the Ducks to add a second-round pick to the trade package in addition to Jamie Drysdale.
Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty ImagesThe former Flyers playoff hero then managed consecutive NHL Trade Deadlines shrewdly. He flipped Sean Walker – originally a salary dump acquisition in the Ivan Provorov deal – for a package centered around a first-round pick in 2024. Meanwhile, he passed on underwhelming offers for Scott Laughton.
Briere pounced one year later when the Toronto Maple Leafs offered a first-round pick and Nikita Grebenkin in a deal for the Ontario-born Laughton.
The name Trevor Zegras swirled in NHL trade rumors for multiple seasons before the Flyers acquired him in 2025. Briere bought stunningly low on a playmaking forward once considered in the top tier of young NHL stars. Zegras quickly became one of Philadelphia’s best players while Anaheim only recouped a second-round pick, a fourth-round pick, and depth center Ryan Poehling.
Credit for the Walker and Laughton trades must also include the caveat that the Flyers lost late-round draft capital in the deals for future first-round picks that might take the better part of a decade to result in significant NHL impact.
Danny Briere has shown his fair share of addition vulnerabilities during the organization’s slow-moving rebuild. However, the ability to maintain trade leverage simply isn’t one of them.
“I think he’s established a certain level of integrity that will be looked upon in the right way as we continue to build this thing and push it forward.”
