There was a bit of a mixed reaction to the Flyers’ recent decision to re-sign center Christian Dvorak to a five-year, $25.75-million contract extension.
Some thought it was too much of a commitment to a player who turns 30 soon.
Others believe it’s the proper way for general manager Daniel Briere to show everyone he’s now comfortable with the cards he’s been dealt.
In other words, when the trading deadline rolls around next month, he might, in poker terms, stick with a pat hand.
At least one prominent member of the local hockey community, Chris Therien, believes the odds are stacked in Briere’s favor due to moves like the Dvorak one.
Therien, who played more games (753) than any defenseman in Flyers history and later launched careers in broadcasting/podcasting, likes what Briere is trying to build here in Philadelphia.
In a way, it’s sort of what the Flyers were doing in the late ‘90s, when they made it to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1997 and came within a game of the championship round in 2000.
Those teams had veteran leaders who had open ears and eyes to help with the development of young players. Dvorak fills that bill.
“He’s played with (coach) Rick Tocchet before, so there’s a trust between the two of them,” Therien said in a telephone interview. “So that sometimes can be an arm of the coach.
“And ‘Devo’ is a respected player that other players can go talk to. A coach can use that as a sounding board. I’ve heard good things about him as a locker room guy.”
At the moment, Dvorak is having a career year and if things go well in the second half of the season, he will surpass most of his single-season records.
“He’s had a career season,” agreed Therien, who appears on the “Snow the Goalie” podcast. “There’s no other way to define it.”
Getting back to the premise the Flyers might have overpaid for the player, Therien had some thoughts on that.
“Some people look at it and say ‘why did they sign a guy who can’t be your one or two seed?’ in terms of what they’re looking at,” Therien said. “But he brings value, he can play up and down your lineup.
“The center free agency market has thinned down a lot. So there wasn’t a whole lot there that was going to be presented in the offseason.”
Meanwhile, Dvorak’s linemate, Trevor Zegras, is also on pace for a career year (41 points in his first 41 games). It’s a given Dvorak has played a big role in Zegras’ breakout season.
“When Zegras came here, people weren’t really sure if he was going to be a center,” Therien said. “Instead, because of the responsibility of Dvorak, it’s given Zegras an opportunity to play his game, knowing he’s got protection on the defensive side of things.”
When a coach such as Tocchet is looking to sell his program, his system, it doesn’t hurt to have a believer like Dvorak around either.
“Absolutely,” Therien said. “That helps get the coach’s message across. When you have someone like Dvorak on board, you can get the message across a lot quicker. It helps when you’re trying to get guys to buy into what the coach is selling.”
Ultimately, Briere wants key players in the fold who will have impact three, four, five years from now. Many believe Zegras’ future will be examined next. He’s a restricted free agent through 2026-27.
So far, it looks like he’s having a good time and the numbers reinforce that contention.
If the Flyers are trying to build a foundation for consistent winning and contention year after year, they’re off to a good start.
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