GM Briere staying patient with Flyers’ rebuild

Flyers GM Danny Briere

VOORHEES, N.J. – He’s sticking to his guns.
That would be Flyers general manager Danny Briere and his intention to see the current rebuild through to the finish, even if his team takes some lumps along the way.
With the NHL trade deadline coming up in about six weeks, Briere finds himself pretty much in the same spot he did last season. The Flyers were right in the middle of a playoff chase in the spring of ’24 and although the team is slightly out of the Eastern Conference’s top eight at the moment, it’s close enough to debate the subject once again.
So even though big names such as Rasmus Ristolainen, Scott Laughton and Morgan Frost have come up in trade rumors, Briere is reiterating he’s not going to make a deal before or at the March 7 final transaction date.
“Nothing’s changed,” Briere said during a midseason press conference on Tuesday at the Flyers Training Center. “It’s still the same for us. If there’s something that makes sense for us for the future, we’re going to look into it.”
The Flyers didn’t do a whole lot last winter. They acquired veteran defenseman Erik Johnson from Buffalo for a draft pick, sent defenseman Sean Walker to Colorado for Ryan Johansen (who never played for Philadelphia) and a first-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. Earlier, they picked up defenseman Jamie Drysdale and a second-round pick in 2025 from Anaheim for disgruntled former first-round pick Cutter Gauthier.
“I’ve had a lot of different conversations (including taking calls from GMs for Ristolainen),” Briere said. “Around the league, I think everybody is in the same spot. They’re looking at what the options are. They’re preparing for the deadline.
“I don’t expect anything different this year. We’re setting things up for crunch time. That’s what happened last year, also. We’re always listening. If something makes too much sense for the future of this organization, we’re going to take it.”
There are people out there in the Delaware Valley who believe a proven, playmaking center would be one possibility to bring out the best in rookie hotshot Matvei Michkov.
“What I can tell is we’ve tried and we’re trying,” Briere said. “We’re looking at what’s out there. The reality is there are not a lot of high-end centermen in this league. When teams have them, they want to keep them, or the price is crazy.”
The Flyers have tried Michkov with Sean Couturier, Frost and others but there doesn’t seem to be a lot of chemistry there.
“We’re not willing to give up on our future at this point,” Briere said. “I realize it’s a glaring need we need to upgrade. But it has to make sense. We have to be sure before we make a move. We’re looking at everything that is out there that’s available.”
Briere hasn’t ruled out bringing in an over-30 proven veteran.
“If it makes sense, yes,” Briere said. “But there’s a lot that goes
into play. The length of the contract. And what it’s going to cost you. If it does make sense, absolutely. But in most cases with those older guys, it doesn’t.”
As for Ristolainen, he’s playing his best hockey since arriving in Philadelphia several seasons back. Parting ways would be difficult. His contract runs through 2026-27 at $5.1 million AAV, which is a relative bargain for a second-pair defenseman.
“He’s been so good for us,” Briere said. “He’s not a rental. There’s no rush. We finally have him healthy, playing extremely well. A right-shot D, playing in your top four, playing as physical as he does, they’re tough to find. It would be a big hole if we ever had to lose him. I’m not shopping him.”
The Flyers have three first-round picks in this year’s draft, so that could be an asset or two Briere thinks about moving first.
Frost and Joel Farabee might be more likely candidates than Ristolainen. Both have had up-and-down seasons.
“Joel certainly had a rough little spell lately,” Briere said. “To see him come back in the lineup (after a three-game benching), I thought he played extremely well the last two games.”
Finally, the Flyers have missed the playoffs four straight years. Has Briere been tempted to speed up the process?
“As long as it doesn’t hurt the future,” Briere said, “it’s something we’re going to consider. For us, the future is still the key.”

>Kolosov status

Goaltender Aleksei Kolosov has fallen to No. 3 on the Flyers’ depth chart and carrying three netminders is not a feasible long-term option.
Briere said there are a “lot of moving parts” to the situation. He also added that Kolosov would have no objection to a temporary move back to the AHL Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
“We’re looking into that,” Briere said. “A few days ago he was the backup goalie. We’re looking at different options. (Ivan) Fedotov is now the backup (to Samuel Ersson). We’re trying to be careful with Sam (who’s been on and off the injured list).
“He (Ersson) has played a lot. It’s not ideal, three goalies. We realize that. At the same time, taking some load off in practice – and we’re going to practice less and less.”

>Praise for Cates line

The Noah Cates-Bobby Brink-Tyson Foerster line has probably been the Flyers’ best for some time now. Briere has noticed the chemistry of this unit.
“It’s been exciting to see that line,” the GM said. “And it helps the rest of the lineup having a line like that. I was fortunate to have that in my career a few times. It’s the best feeling in the world when you go out there and start believing in your line. There’s nothing like it. Even the games it doesn’t go quite as well for them, they find a way to make a way to make a big play late in the game – to win it or tie it.
“That’s a sign you believe in your linemates.”

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About Wayne Fish 2701 Articles
Wayne Fish has been covering the Flyers since 1976, a stint which includes 18 Stanley Cup Finals, four Winter Olympics and numerous other international events.