If there’s one thing that Daniel Briere will be known for from now on, it's that he’s someone not afraid of making the big move.
Briere on Friday did the equivalent of pushing the red button to launch the nuclear missiles. One of those missiles was headed right for Anaheim. The outcome was signing Leo Carlsson to a five-year, $90 million offer sheet.
It’s a massive bet, one that the Flyers hope will pay off. After all, there is no guarantee that it will.
While we could debate whether he’s actually worth $18 million AAV, a better discussion is to discuss Briere. The Flyers GM is making a huge wager on one player’s future.
At 21, Carlsson doesn’t have the track record that other, more established stars would have. It’s like making a big investment in a startup company.
An investor in a startup is hoping the project will take them to the moon. This is the quickest way to a billion dollars. And it's the quickest way to a Stanley Cup. Taking a bet on an established young star could be part one in breaking decades without a Cup in the City of Brotherly Love.
No, Carlsson is not a billionaire, but his newest contract makes him closer than any other player in when only taking salary into account. This is the richest contract in the richest AAV in the history of the sport. That payment comes with the hope that Carlsson can help elevate the Flyers to the next level. That next level is a Stanley Cup.
The expectation isn’t making the Conference Final. It’s not winning Hart Trophies or even an Olympic gold medal.
The only goal here is a Cup, well, multiple Cups. If Carlsson can’t deliver that, Briere’s bold move will become a case study for all time.
If Carlsson and the Flyers reach the promised land, of course, this entire discussion will be moot. The entire conversation will also be moot if the Ducks call Briere’s bet.
However, judging from the circumstances, it seems unlikely that Anaheim will match the offer.
Flyers' compensation for Carlsson may become subject of scrutiny
The flip side of this monumental move is the four first-round picks the Flyers will have to give up for Carlsson. Naturally, no one will care about them if the Flyers win a Stanley Cup. The four picks will be a drop in the bucket compared to the glory that will come from winning a championship.
Perhaps the Ducks will just squander the four first-rounders. A good example was the Edmonton Oilers. After the Oilers got three first-rounders in the Wayne Gretzky deal, the organization pretty much wasted them.
The Ducks, for their part, could do what they like with them. Anaheim will most likely weaponize the picks to find a replacement for Carlsson.
But what if one of those picks, or even several of them, turns out to be a star player? Again, it won’t matter if the Flyers win a Cup or multiple Cups. But what happens if the Flyers don’t win anything?
Ultimately, the future is uncertain. This entire discussion is hearsay at this point. But there is no question that this move will go down as one of the greatest moves in NHL history.
Kudos to Daniel Briere and the Flyers for having the stones to pull something like this off.
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