The Philadelphia Flyers faithful were proud of the team after they were eliminated from the second round of the playoffs by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes. The fans inside Xfinity Mobile Arena gave the Flyers a standing ovation while the team was in the handshake line with the Hurricanes after their Game 4 elimination. It was so loud, that Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour acknowledged the crowd while speaking with Rick Tocchet.
It truly is amazing what a playoff run can do in terms of fan confidence. The Flyers exceeded expectations and look to have a bright future ahead of them. As it turns out, Briere is seeing his grades improve as the years go by as team general manager.
Danny Briere's popularity among Flyers fans are growing based on The Athletic survey
The Athletic recently ran a survey asking fans to rate grade their favorite teams' and other teams' front offices based on a variety of topics — roster building, cap management, draft and development, trading, free agency, and vision. In terms of a total grade, the fanbase gives Briere a B- grade, which matches with the public's grade. Overall, the Flyers front office, headed by Briere, is ranked 15th in the league, which is up from last year, where they ranked 19th in the league.
When it comes to Briere's strengths according to the fanbase, cap management, free agency, trading, and vision all received B grades. That make sense, considering the Flyers' cap space is in solid shape. Not to mention, the additions of Trevor Zegras and Dan Vladar last offseason all panned out tremendously, and they are now locked in to long-term contract extensions.
The Flyers' biggest weakness, if you can call it that, is with drafting and developing. The Flyers have seen the highs of their top prospects making the transition to the pros, with Porter Martone shining in his late season call-up which helped them clinch a playoff spot. Then there are the downs, such as Matvei Michkov struggling to build off of a strong rookie season, and notably falling out of favor with Tocchet.
Last year, the Flyers received a C+ overall grade. The fanbase, similarly, gave the Flyers a B-.
Flyers fans' confidence in Danny Briere will only grow with continued playoff success
The Flyers are now firmly out of their rebuild. They banked on their young, drafted players to be key cogs in the Flyers machine for the foreseeable future. That method, along with adding proven young players to the roster have resulted in the Flyers making the playoffs and actually picking up a first-round series win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Once the Flyers go deeper into the playoffs and eventually make it to the Stanley Cup Finals and winning it, you can expect Briere and the Flyers front office to skyrocket at or near the No. 1 spot, currently occupied by the Hurricanes.
Those odds will increase once the Flyers and Briere inevitably bring in a superstar. Briere tried this offseason with the Leo Carlsson offer sheet, but to no avail. Instead of taking the four first round picks, the Anaheim Ducks matched the five-year, $90 million offer sheet. After that swing and a miss, it appears Briere is going to move forward with the roster as currently constructed. Things can change, especially if some top players become available at the trade deadline. If not then, the focus will be on free agency next summer.
Fan satisfaction will only grow once more playoff victories are secured. If that does happen with Philly, Briere could possibly be as popular as a team executive as he was when he played for the team.
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