5 Best Philadelphia Flyers Free Agent Signings of All Time

The Philadelphia Flyers have historically never been big players in free agency, but sometimes the slightest additions can make the biggest differences. 

It’s entirely possible that nobody knows this better than newly-minted Philadelphia Flyers general manager Daniel Briere. This weekend, Briere brokered his first two free agent signings after conducting his first-ever NHL draft. In the draft, Briere drafted Denver Barkey, who is somewhat comparable to Briere, back when he played. Briere, of course, was drafted 24th overall by the Phoenix Coyotes in 1996 and played for both the Coyotes and Buffalo Sabres before making his way to the Philadelphia Flyers.

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Once upon a time, on July 1, 2007, Daniel Briere signed an eight-year, $52 million contract with the Philadelphia Flyers. Although Briere was bought out of his contract on June 20, 2013, he left Philadelphia as a franchise legend. In six years with the Philadelphia Flyers, Briere scored 124 goals and 283 points in 364 games. In the playoffs, Briere scored 37 goals and 72 points in 68 games. In short, Daniel Briere was better as a Flyer than he was anywhere else in his career.

In addition, Daniel Briere served as a leader for the Philadelphia Flyers organization for multiple years. During his time in Philadelphia, Briere mentored young future stars like Claude Giroux, Brayden Schenn, Jakub Voracek, Sergei Bobrovsky, James van Riemsdyk, Sean Couturier, Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, and Braydon Coburn. Although the Philadelphia Flyers were unable to win a Stanley Cup with Briere on the team, and fell just short in 2010, they’ve made it past the second round of the playoffs just once since his departure in 2013. With Briere back in the fold and in charge, the Philadelphia Flyers are poised to change that in a few years. Briere’s mentorship as a player brought a bad, young team back to contention in just a couple of years. If anyone knows what the Flyers need to do it again, it’s Briere.

Speaking of Daniel Briere, if the name of new Philadelphia Flyers prospect Cole Knuble sounds familiar, that’s because it is. Cole’s father Mike was a Philadelphia Flyer from 2005-2009, and despite being in his mid-30’s, Mike Knuble played the best hockey of his professional career in the City of Brotherly Love. On July 3, 2004, Knuble signed a three-year contract with the Philadelphia Flyers, and Knuble’s Flyers debut would have to wait until the 2005-06 season thanks to the NHL lockout in the 2004. When Knuble first signed with Philadelphia, he said that “I’m happy it got done so quickly. It is sad to leave Boston. That was a great spot for me and my career. My family and I have great memories there. But to be able to jump from Boston to an immediate contender, somebody who was a game away from making the Stanley Cup finals last year, is something I hope to be in that situation when this free agency came around. I’m real happy about it”.

Mike Knuble’s signing turns the clock back to a time where players wanted to play for the Philadelphia Flyers and make memories. Knuble certainly made memories with the Flyers, scoring 118 goals and 229 points in 338 games. Knuble’s arrival came at a crucial time for the Flyers, who lost John LeClair, Mark Recchi, and Jeremy Roenick at the end of the previous season. Knuble, like Daniel Briere, helped usher in the next generation of Flyers hockey, starting with Mike Richards and Jeff Carter and Claude Giroux not far behind. In the playoffs with the Philadelphia Flyers, Knuble scored six goals and 14 points in 24 games. While the Flyers didn’t go all that far in the playoffs with Knuble, he helped the young players eventually get to that point later in their careers.

After his departure in 2009, Mike Knuble spent the next three seasons with the Washington Capitals, before returning to Philadelphia in the 2012-13 season as a 40 year old to do a farewell tour of sorts. The 2012-13 season would be both Knuble and Daniel Briere’s last seasons as Philadelphia Flyers players. Still, the pair left the franchise in good hands with a young trio of Claude Giroux, Jakub Voracek, and Wayne Simmonds. Ultimately, that was all for naught as well.

Dave Poulin is a classic example of taking a shot on someone, and turning nothing into something. Expectations were low for the undrafted Poulin when he signed his first deal with the Philadelphia Flyers – a one-year AHL contract with the Maine Mariners. Dave Poulin took his opportunity and ran with it, scoring 16 points in 16 games with the Mariners, before earning a call-up to the Flyers for their last two games of the season. From there, Poulin scored his first NHL goal on his first NHL shift against his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs, assisted by Hockey Hall of Famer and Maple Leafs legend Darryl Sittler.

Dave Poulin played for the Philadelphia Flyers from his debut in 1983 until his trade to the Boston Bruins in the 1989-90 season, and succeeded the great Bobby Clarke as Flyers captain. As a Philadelphia Flyer, Poulin scored 30 goals twice, was named an NHL All-Star two times, and won the Frank J. Selke trophy, awarded to the NHL’s best defensive forward. Poulin left the Philadelphia Flyers with the third-most shorthanded goals in team history (27), with only Bobby Clarke (32) and Bill Barber (31) scoring more. Injuries played a significant role in the derailment of Dave Poulin’s career, as he played in just 724 regular season games across 13 seasons. In his Flyers career, Poulin appeared in 467 games, scoring 161 goals and 394 points. In the playoffs, Poulin recorded 17 goals and 39 points in 63 games.

Like Dave Poulin, Tim Kerr also went undrafted, and got his start with the Philadelphia Flyers by way of the Maine Mariners. Kerr, however, was a bit more prolific than Poulin, and retired as a Flyers record holder in several different categories. If Kerr would have stayed healthy and was able to prolong his career, there would be little doubts of him being the second-best offensive player in Flyers history.

Tim Kerr owns a laundry list of NHL and Philadelphia Flyers records. Some NHL records include: most power play goals in a season (34), most power play goals in a period of a playoff game (4), and fastest four goals in a playoff game (8:16). Some of Kerr’s Flyers records include: most 50-goal seasons (4); most career hat-tricks in the regular season and playoffs (17, 3), most goals scored in a period (3), and the most hat-tricks in a season (5). As great of a player as Bobby Clarke was, Tim Kerr owns some impressive feats. During his time with the Philadelphia Flyers, Kerr was three times named an NHL All-Star, and won the Bill Masterton Trophy in 1989; awarded to the player who best demonstrates perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.

Tim Kerr scored all but 24 of his 674 points as a Philadelphia Flyer. With Philadelphia, Kerr is third all-time in goals (363) and seventh all-time in points (650). Of course, he also retired as the Flyers’ all-time leader in power play goals (144) and hat-tricks (17). With 650 points in 601 games as a Flyer, Kerr’s 1.08 points-per-game is second only to Eric Lindros’ 1.36. Not bad for a player the Philadelphia Flyers got for free.