If you're the type to immerse yourself in offseason speculation surrounding the Philadelphia Flyers, you’ve been able to fill your plate for almost two months.
Will they try to offer sheet someone? What kind of trade(s) might be possible this summer? Do they make a big splash in free agency, or will they wait until next year? It’s simultaneously entertaining but also largely a waste of time, because the vast majority of rumors that come up will never pan out. But, do you know who benefits from that and likes the Flyers being linked to almost every possible scenario? That’d be team general manager Daniel Briere.
The Flyers and their GM Daniel Briere have to be loving the offseason rumor mill that's keeping the team in public view
It’s been a little over two years since Briere and president of hockey operations Keith Jones unexpectedly swooped in and began to put their mark on the team on the ice and the organization as a whole. And, during that time, they’ve shown that they aren’t afraid to make the bold moves. Drafting Matvei Michkov and then surreptitiously getting him to come over just one year later. Bringing in an unexpectedly good return for Ivan Provorov and pulling the plug on Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost.
Fans largely approve of the job that Briere has done, but make no mistake, he isn’t just trying to appease us. Briere is trying to prove himself among fellow GMs by establishing good relationships with other clubs. The Flyers are willing to deal, they are rapidly getting better at salary cap management, and they are re-establishing themselves as an attractive place for top players.
Even though the recent rumor of a deal with Vegas for defenseman Nicolas Hague was largely squashed, it can only help matters every time the Flyers come up in conversation. By having an allure of unpredictability and being able to make hard and/or decisive choices, Briere is putting distance between himself and some of his predecessors as Flyers GM.
The organization was stuck in the ‘old man hockey mentality’ for too long, and a new mix of aggressiveness and an analytical understanding of today’s NHL is critical. Briere realizes this, and he is maneuvering the Flyers into position for success in the coming years.
Briere decided that the John Tortorella experiment had run its course before the end of last season, and he got his man in Rick Tocchet, but not before milking it in the media for weeks. He likes to mix in some showmanship with the moves he makes, like the photo op of him and Jones carrying Michkov’s bags last year.
At the same time, Briere will also operate in the dark, which leads to the media assigning some mystique to it because of the reputation that he has quickly cultivated. This accomplishes some of his work for him, and he knows this. He has to maintain a poker face on the cloak-and-dagger stuff, such as bringing Michkov over, and it’s a good skill to have as he navigates the waters of executives that he has to do business with, and a long-suffering fanbase begging for winning hockey to return to Philadelphia. He’ll use free agency, the draft, and any other tool at his disposal to make it happen.
GM Danny Briere recently talked about the Flyers' approach to the 2025 NHL Draft.
— Broad Street Hockey (@BroadStHockey) June 5, 2025
They're not afraid to take swings, will continue to address the need for centers, and more.https://t.co/YHVsb7B6Qd
And, so, while you have to take every offseason whisper and reported trade proposal with a grain of salt, realize that Daniel Briere is cooking up something. It may even be more surprising or needle-moving than the actual rumors being bandied about. Briere has shown a willingness to jump the line to do what’s best for the Flyers, so you can expect something to happen.
Maybe it will be at the draft, or once free agency opens, or later in the summer. Heck, maybe all of the above. The point is, the Flyers are in no position to be stagnant, so it’s an objectively good thing to see them linked to moves that could help the team and shift it towards contention as they explore every avenue for potential improvement.
The time for regressing and bottoming out has come to an end. The Flyers have an opportunity to make significant leaps this offseason and next. Danny Briere enjoys the league rumor mill, and fans should too. It portends big changes for a Flyers club starting their climb back to the top of the league.