Flyers GM says he won’t stop in trying to build contender

Daniel Briere already took one massive swing during the offseason. Is the Philadelphia Flyers general manager poised to take another one?

Briere took his shot on Leo Carlsson, signing the 21-year-old restricted free agent center to a five-year, $80 million offer sheet ($18 million average annual value) on July 3.

The Ducks matched the contract six days later, but the audacious move, which gave Carlsson the highest AAV in the NHL, showed Briere's goal remains the same: do whatever it takes to improve a team that returned to the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season for the first time since 2020.

"The players did their part last year, and we're trying to do ours," Briere said Thursday. "We're going to keep trying to improve the team to give them the best chance to be a contender for years to come."

The Flyers certainly have needs. Briere has not been shy in saying that the biggest is a No. 1 center. Carlsson would have filled that role.

Now that role could go to Trevor Zegras, who signed a four-year, $36.5 million contract ($9.125 million average annual value) on Wednesday to avoid an arbitration hearing.

Zegras, who was a restricted free agent, played center and left wing for the Flyers last season while setting NHL bests with 26 goals and 67 points in 81 games. His versatility is important, as well as his salary cap number.

The Flyers have about $22 million remaining under the $104 million NHL salary cap for next season, with defenseman Jamie Drysdale the only significant roster player left to sign; like Zegras, he filed for arbitration, with hearings scheduled for July 20-Aug. 1.

Having that kind of financial flexibility gives Briere the opportunity to step back up to the plate.

"We're trying to do some things, and there's things that we're constantly looking at and trying to improve," he said. "We worked hard to get this cap space. You remember three years ago how we were in really bad shape there. We worked hard, and what we want to make sure is that we can use it in a proper manner where it's going to help the team moving forward.

"Yes, we're looking to do different things. I'm not saying it's going to work, but yeah, there's different things we're looking at that might eat up our salary cap."

It's not just at center where the Flyers are looking to improve. Finding a way to fix a power play that has finished last in the NHL four times in the past five season, including last season (15.7 percent), is imperative.

"We took some swings there, too," Briere said. "I unfortunately can't get into details because players are elsewhere, but we took some swings there. We tried to improve the power play. We're going to keep looking. At this point most free agents are signed, so it's more on the trade front. So if there's a chance there, we're going to look to improve that."

What could make any trade, or other upgrades, a bit easier is the organization's success on and off the ice.

The Flyers went 43-27-12 last season, good for third in the Metropolitan Division. This was just one season removed from finishing last in the Eastern Conference in 2024-25. 

Briere's stated goal of making Philadelphia a desirable location also appears to be coming to fruition.

Sweeping the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round of the playoffs and reaching the second round last season certainly was an accomplishment, and he said players around the League are beginning to see the Flyers as a destination franchise again.

The players currently on the roster locking in long-term deals during the offseason has shown that, including Zegras, forward Tyson Foerster (eight years, $7.1 million AAV) and goalie Dan Vladar (five years, $5.5 million AAV).

"It's a great spot to play, and I think we're on the come-up, so super exciting, and I'm happy to be here for hopefully the next nine years," Foerster said after he signed his deal, which begins next season. "… I love Philadelphia, I love playing with these guys. They asked me if I would look to extend this year, and it was a no-brainer for me."

Briere, who was named Flyers GM on May 11, 2023, said after speaking with agents and rival executives that trade protection issues involving the Flyers isn't as much of an obstacle anymore.

And Carlsson didn't have to sign Philadelphia's offer sheet; his agents, Matt and Ryan Keator, said on "32 Thoughts: The Podcast" that Carlsson had offers from multiple teams, but the Flyers' is the one he chose.

"The cool thing that we're seeing is the guys that are here realize how they're being treated and where the team is going," Briere said. "Because that's a big part. To attract players, you have to have a winning team, or a team that's at least trending to become a contender. So I think more and more from the outside, we're starting to see more players being involved. But we realize also that it's far from being a done deal, and we still have a lot of work to do.

"In the offer sheet process, yes, there's many teams to choose from, and he selected us, which was a good sign."

It wasn't quite good enough, but Briere doesn't seem like he's ready to put his bat down any time soon.

"As far as after that what happens, I don't know. I can't answer that yet," he said. "What I can tell you is I'd be very comfortable going into the season with this lineup.

"If something makes sense, we're going to look to improve. If there's a chance out there ... we've said it from Day One, it has to make sense, and that's what we're looking for."