Flyers general manager Daniel Briere addressed the media Saturday following Thursday’s trade with the Calgary Flames.
Philadelphia Flyers NHL hockey team newly appointed Special Assistant to the General Manager, Daniel Briere, arrives for a news conference in Philadelphia, Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2022. The Flyers have named long-time television analyst Keith Jones team president of hockey operations and have removed the interim tag from general manager Danny Briere's title. Jones was a surprise choice Thursday, May 11, 2023, after he spent the last 23 years as an analyst for Flyers telecasts on NBC Sports Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)
Briere opened by apologizing for not speaking yesterday. He had said he was traveling “out west” for a scouting trip before the team’s game in Colorado on Sunday, but he did not specify where “out west” he was.
On Saturday, the Flyers’ GM discussed the trade, recent roster moves, and the team’s outlook for the future.
The Farabee-Kuzmenko Trade and the Outlook Moving Forward
“It’s (the trade) not giving up on the season,” Briere said. After trading away Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost, he wanted to clarify that this trade was not the Flyers giving up on the season.
Whether true or not, Briere has set the tone for what he expects for the remainder of the season. Head coach John Tortorella said the move won’t stop them from pushing for a playoff spot. “It’s our job,” Tortorella said. “Those guys (The Flyers) don’t know how to (Give up on the season), they just play.”
Briere touched on the guys who were sent to Calgary, saying that it was “a tough trade to make,” but it opened up some cap space for the future. Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost were well-liked guys in the Flyers’ locker room and will surely be missed.
Briere kept using the phrase “Cracking the door open” to describe what this does for the Flyers’ cap situation. He also said, “(We are) not going to spend money just for the fun of it.” It is unclear what that means for the Flyers, who have four pending RFAs and, with the acquisition of Kuzmenko, two pending UFAs at the end of this season. There was no mention of a plan for using that cap as the trade deadline draws closer.
That cap flexibility seemed to be a big reason for the trade. Briere had mentioned that multiple teams were interested in Farabee, but Calgary was the only one willing to take the entire contract. According to Briere, the return value, coupled with the Flames taking on the full Farabee deal, made the trade worth it for the Flyers.
What are the Flyers Getting, and When Will We See the New Guys?
Briere is looking for both Andrei Kuzmenko and Jakob Pelletier to get a fresh start in Philly.
“Kuzmenko has proven to be a game-breaker before… who knows what happens,” Briere said about the newly acquired forward.
When it comes to Pelletier, Briere sees a possible spark. “We’ll see what he has,” Briere said. He is spunky; maybe he brings a spark.”
Regarding the overall move, Briere reiterated that this is a move for the future, and it is not giving up on the season. However, he does say that, in his eyes, this was not a move for this year.
Neither Kuzmenko nor Pelletier was at practice on Saturday, and it is expected that both will join the Flyers at some point on their two-game road trip, with Tuesday at Utah being the likely case.
Despite their absence, it seemed clear where they would line up once they joined the team. Here is how the Flyers forwards lined up at practice:
Tyson Foerster – Noah Cates – Travis Konecny
Anthony Richard – Sean Couturier – Matvei Michkov
Scott Laughton – Rodrigo Abols – Bobby Brink
Nic Deslauriers – Jacob Gaucher – Garnet Hathaway
With neither guy playing center and it being hard to imagine Laughton coming out of the lineup, it seems as if Deslauriers and Richard will come out of the lineup when Pelletier and Kuzmenko join the team.
Again, it is likely that they will not play until Tuesday at Utah, with Briere citing visa issues as the reason they have not already joined the Flyers.
Recent Roster Moves
Over the past two days, the Flyers have recalled Emil Andrae, Jacob Gaucher, and Aleksei Kolosov and sent Adam Ginning back to the AHL.
With the AHL being in its All-Star break, Briere said Kolosov is back with the Flyers so he can continue to practice with the NHL club and be ready if the Flyers need him before the break. He also mentioned they would give Kolosov a break during Four Nations. It was unclear if he would be in the AHL or NHL for that break.
Briere also recalled Emil Andrae, who was playing like one of the best Flyers’ defensemen before being loaned back to the AHL in December. He has one goal and four assists in 20 games played this season.
As for Gaucher, he has 27 points (14 G, 13 A) in the AHL this season. He is a remarkable story to keep an eye on. Gaucher was an undrafted free agent who worked his way from the ECHL to the NHL.
“He’s a big center that keeps getting better. We signed him to an NHL deal, and now with the situation, we felt it was time to give him a look. He’s coming up to play tomorrow in Colorado.” Said Briere. “I thought he (Gaucher) was really impressive. He had a good training camp and played good in the exhibition games.”
Gaucher will likely make his NHL debut Sunday against the Avalanche.
