Since Flyers general manager Danny Briere had the interim tag removed, he’s done what he thought was the right course of action for the team in terms of the bigger picture. But one thing he’s seem to have been rather successful at is trying to help the team in terms of trades while also treating the Flyer heading out of town with some semblance of respect or consideration. In the long haul, it really isn’t going to help regarding how Philadelphia continues to right the ship, get younger, add more prospects and keep steering in the right direction. However, simple acts like that tends to show a bit of humanity in what can be an extremely cutthroat business. Outside of Ryan Johansen and what eventually became a justified breach of contract and termination, Philadelphia has welcomed players generally with open arms. And have sent them off to places where they could further their career. Or just be closer to home.
Granted, a certain asking price in return was often required to complete the transaction. If that price wasn’t met, then obviously Briere nor the organization would not get fleeced on a trade just to placate a player possibly heading out. What has been a trend now in a handful of trade deadlines is that if Philadelphia is on the outside looking in, and want to send some players out, they will often put that player in a position to succeed or be in a better spot.
Growing evidence of Flyers caring about the trade destination for their players
When Briere traded Sean Walker, the defenseman was sent out to Colorado. At the time the Avalanche were one of the teams strongly contending for a Stanley Cup. Last season, Philadelphia sent Scott Laughton to Toronto, essentially playing closer to his hometown. They also sent veteran Erik Johnson back to his longtime stomping grounds in Colorado for another kick at the can regarding a Cup run. And as recently as Friday, the Briere sent winger Bobby Brink to Minnesota in exchange for defenseman David Jiricek. Brink was born in Minnetonka, which is approximately a 10-mile drive from Minneapolis where the Wild call home. It’s a far cry from when Brink was a healthy scratch when Philadelphia visited the Wild a few seasons back, something that former coach John Tortorella wasn’t hesitant to do (ask Travis Sanheim). Now Brink will be able to play before his friends and family at least 41 times a year. And given where the Wild are in the standings, it appears Brink will be playing some playoff hockey as well.
Later on Friday the Flyers parted company with Nic Deslauriers, sending him out to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft. Again, Deslauriers wasn’t going to be held for a king’s ransom given his limited skillset. But by sending him off in what could be his final year to a contender in the Eastern Conference is a decent way to treat a guy who did what he could (including taking a lot of shots to the face and head) to try and help the club. According to Briere’s presser on Friday, Deslauriers said he wasn’t asking out of town but if there was a trade available he would be open to it. Briere, knowing the forward is possibly in the final weeks and months of his career, decided to part with the good foot soldier who defended his teammates doing something a lot of players don’t have the stomach for.
Of course the biggest elephant in the room remained defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, who was not dealt at the deadline. Whether Ristolainen — who probably never had his stock as high as he did the last few weeks — is traded at the draft or in the offseason (as part of a package for a bonafide top-end center) remains to be seen. Initial speculation had him heading to Buffalo to finally see some playoff hockey with the team that drafted him.
It’s not like the Flyers have always asked a player where he’d like to go and try their best to accommodate him. They’ve had some players like Jakob Pelletier and Andrei Kuzmenko for a cup of coffee before sending both on their way. And it’s probably likely that Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee didn’t have Calgary at the top of their list for possible trade destinations in January, 2025. Yet on the whole, Briere has tried to put some players who have put the work in with the organization into a better place for the next phase of their career. That might not be a huge thing in the grand scheme of things, but it puts Briere in a good light when it comes to treating the players in organization with some level of respect and decency.
