Analyzing Flyers GM Daniel Briere's 14 trades — stockpiling assets, taking chances

At some point, the big one is coming.

Flyers general manager Daniel Briere hasnt shied away from the notion that hes going to have to execute that splashy, headline-making move, almost certainly for a center, for the ongoing rebuild to be successful.

He indicated as much in his midseason presser last month and has repeated it in the aftermath of the recent deal with the Calgary Flames.

Advertisement Maybe it will be before the March 7 NHL trade deadline.

Perhaps it will be this summer.

It could be even later than that.

But, its inevitable.

That in mind, we figured it was a good time to give Briere an audit on trades hes consummated so far, as the two-year anniversary of his being named as the full-time general manager on May 11, 2023, is approaching, along with some brief analysis on each deal.

June 6, 2023 Traded : Ivan Provorov to Columbus; Kevin Connauton, Hayden Hodgson to Los Angeles Acquired : Cal Petersen, Sean Walker, Helge Grans, 2023 first-round pick (Oliver Bonk), 2024 second-round pick, 2025 second-round pick Brieres first major move as the full-time GM remains his best.

While Provorov has fit in nicely in Columbus and is playing big minutes, it was evident in his comments before the 2023-24 season opener that he wasnt a fit in Philadelphia.

The Flyers not only turned the first-round pick they received in the deal into Bonk, one of their top two prospects not in the NHL, but Walker greatly outperformed his expectations and was flipped for a first-round pick at last years deadline.

Even Helge Grans, viewed mostly as a throw-in at the time, looked like a serviceable NHL defenseman during his cup of coffee with the big club in November.

The Flyers still have one more asset to use in the deal, too, as Columbus deferred the second-round pick they still owe the Flyers to this years draft.

Petersens $5 million salary comes off the books this summer.

If the rebuild ends up being successful at some point, this will be the deal that set the table.

June 27, 2023 Traded : Kevin Hayes to St.

Louis (retaining half of his salary) Acquired : 2024 sixth-round pick Briere didnt have much leverage here, as it was known that Hayes had fallen out of favor with coach John Tortorella.

Still, the return was better than what the Blues got back for him a year later, when they dealt him to Pittsburgh last June.

St.

Louis even had to attach a 2025 second-round pick to dump Hayes in exchange for future considerations.

Advertisement The Flyers eventually used that sixth-round pick in a package to move up in last years draft and select center Heikki Ruohonen, who had four assists for Finland in the recent World Juniors.

He played with good jump and drive, according to The Athletics Scott Wheeler.

The primary motivation for the trade, though, was team culture, as the Flyers didnt see Hayes as a dressing-room fit.

In that regard, it seems to have been the correct move.

Further, Hayes has just eight goals and 12 points in 37 games for the Penguins this season, so moving on from him was the right call from an on-ice perspective, too.

Yes, the Flyers still have approximately $3.5 million worth of Hayes salary on the books until next season, but theyre not planning on competing for the Stanley Cup until 2026-27 at the earliest, anyway.

June 29, 2023 Traded : 2024 second-round pick (acquired in Provorov trade) and 2023 sixth-round pick to Chicago Acquired : 2023 second-round pick (Carson Bjarnason) The Flyers were aggressive in moving up to take Bjarnason, the top-ranked goalie from North America headed into the draft.

It can take years, of course, to determine whether a goalie pans out, but Bjarnason is expected to begin his professional career next season in the AHL with the Phantoms.

He has good size (6 feet, 3 inches) and athleticism, serving as the third goalie for Canada in the 2025 World Juniors.

Aug.

29, 2003 Traded : David Kase to Carolina Acquired : Massimo Rizzo Rizzo, 23, has four goals and 12 points in 27 games with the Phantoms this season.

Maybe he has a chance to play NHL games.

Kase is in the Czech League.

Jan.

8, 2024 Traded : Cutter Gauthier to Anaheim Acquired : Jamie Drysdale, 2025 second-round pick A little more than a year later, its still too early to determine who won this trade, but it at least seems like Briere didnt get fleeced on the deal despite having little choice but to trade the forward.

Gauthier has eight goals and 21 points in 52 games with the Ducks, a slightly disappointing total.

Hes also playing the wing, which makes him less valuable than if he were a center, which is where many expected him to play in the NHL.

Advertisement Drysdale has had an up-and-down Flyers career thus far, but since that Ducks game at Wells Fargo Center on Jan.

11, hes settled in.

Hes probably never going to be an elite defender, but if Drysdale can remain aggressive in his decision-making and help to drive play, something he should be able to do with his skill set, he could still end up as the more valuable of the two players.

But, again, its too early.

A 2025 second-round pick is more capital for Briere to use in the future, either for a player or in a package.

Its not an insignificant asset.

March 6, 2024 Traded : Sean Walker to Colorado Acquired : 2025 first-round pick, 2026 fifth-round pick, Ryan Johansens contract Briere held firm on his asking price of a first-round pick for Walker and got it from the Avalanche, even if Johansens contract led to some early-season salary-cap headaches and what is still an unresolved grievance.

At the same time, losing Walker, their best puck-moving defenseman last season, adversely affected the Flyers down the stretch when they should have qualified for the playoffs.

Its understandable why Briere made the deal, but everyone in the organization was hoping theyd find a way to get into the postseason to get their younger players some experience on the big stage.

March 6, 2024 Traded : Nothing Acquired : Part of Noah Hanifins salary, 2024 fifth-round pick (Noah Powell) This was a nice bit of business by Briere, weaponizing the Flyers cap space and ultimately selecting Powell, who, according to Wheeler, has fourth-line (NHL) potential with the right development.

March 8, 2024 Traded : 2024 fourth-round pick to Buffalo Acquired : Erik Johnson Johnson re-signed in the offseason, and, notably, hes seated next to Matvei Michkov in the dressing room at the teams practice facility.

For a team that values its culture, Johnson has been a positive and can still fill in on defense from time to time.

Advertisement March 8, 2024 Traded : Wade Allison to Nashville Acquired : Denis Gurianov This was done more for playoff depth than anything, but because the Flyers didnt qualify, its entirely forgettable.

Gurianov is now in the KHL, while Allison was released by his KHL team in October after 12 games and remains a free agent.

June 28, 2024 Traded : 2024 first-round pick to Minnesota (Zeev Buium) Acquired : 2024 first-round pick (Jett Luchanko), 2025 third-round pick This might be Brieres most talked-about trade to date, as Buium has the potential to be a No.

1 defenseman and Luchanko skated as just the fourth-line center for Canada in the recent World Juniors.

The Flyers added a third-round pick in moving down just one spot, from No.

12 to No.

13.

But to draw any broad conclusions at this stage isnt just ill-advised, its straight nonsense.

No one knows how either of these players will turn out once they break through to the NHL full-time, and theres no doubt that the Flyers love Luchanko who made the team out of camp and played four NHL games in October, including one in which he went head-to-head with Connor McDavid in Edmonton on Oct.

15 at Rogers Place, and held his own.

June 28, 2024 Traded : 2024 first-round pick to Edmonton Acquired : 2025 first-round pick That pick the Flyers surrendered, No.

32 overall and originally property of Florida, was from the Owen Tippett trade.

Unless the Oilers win the Stanley Cup this season, it will end up being higher in 2025 after this deal.

June 29, 2024 Traded : 2024 third-round pick and 2025 third-round pick to Nashville Acquired : 2024 second-round pick (Spencer Gill) After passing on Buium, the Flyers moved up to snag Gill, who, at 6-4, gives some needed size to the prospect group.

After the player was reassigned to his junior club in September, Tortorella humorously described Gill as a big, tall 5-year-old that still needs to grow into his body.

But, he had a good camp.

Hell be one to monitor at camp next season after the Flyers signed him to his three-year entry-level deal on Sep.

27.

Advertisement Nov.

4, 2024 Traded : Ronnie Attard to Edmonton Acquired : Ben Gleason Two in-between defensemen who arent all that young that needed a change of scenery.

Lets move on.

Jan.

30, 2025 Traded : Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee to Calgary Acquired : Andrei Kuzmenko, Jakob Pelletier, 2025 second-round pick, 2028 seventh-round pick While Brieres first trade was his best to date, his most recent is arguably the riskiest, as Frost and Farabee are still young enough that they could develop into regular top-six NHL players.

Frosts departure, in particular, leaves the Flyers incredibly thin at the center position.

On the other hand, if Pelletier becomes a serviceable NHLer, the Flyers use the second-round pick on something useful, and the newly acquired cap flexibility is utilized for a true difference-maker, it could result in a speedier rebuild.

And that remains Brieres primary objective.

(Photo of Daniel Briere: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images).

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