Danny Briere doesn’t sound interested in backing away from the message the Flyers sent when they went after Leo Carlsson.
After Philadelphia’s aggressive five-year, $90 million offer sheet for the Anaheim Ducks restricted free agent - a deal that would have made Carlsson the NHL’s highest-paid player at an $18 million AAV - Elliotte Friedman said on his 32 Thoughts podcast that Briere had effectively put a “target” on his and the Flyers’ backs around the league. The idea, according to Friedman, is that other NHL general managers could now be more willing to come after Philadelphia players in return.
Briere addressed that criticism during his virtual Zoom session with the media after Trevor Zegras re-signed, and he made clear what he wants people inside and outside the organization to take from the move.
“It was noticed around the league, but I hope it was noticed by our fans and our players that we are serious…about giving the best chance to be a contender.” - Danny Briere
The Flyers submitted the offer sheet in early July 2026. Anaheim matched it, which meant Philadelphia did not land Carlsson, but it also kept the Flyers from having to surrender four first-round picks.
Briere had already issued a team statement after the Ducks matched, saying, “We understood this outcome was possible when we made the offer. While the result isn’t what we hoped for, our goal does not change,” while stressing that the organization still intends to improve without sacrificing the future.
Even though the move did not bring Carlsson to Philadelphia, it still landed as a loud statement across the league. It showed a front office willing to push hard in pursuit of a contender, even if that approach drew attention from rival executives and raised Carlsson’s cost for Anaheim.
Briere’s message now is straightforward: the league may have taken notice, but the bigger point was for the Flyers’ own room and fan base. Philadelphia, he said, is trying to build something real.
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Trevor Zegras arrived in Philadelphia with plenty of intrigue, and his first season with the Flyers gave the organization a pretty clear answer about where he fits in the long term. Acquired from Anaheim last summer, he quickly became one of the most productive players on the roster, setting career highs across the board while handling a versatile top-six role that had him moving between center and wing as the season went on.
The bigger takeaway for the Flyers is how much Zegras mattered when the games got tighter. He played 81 games, led the team in playoff points and delivered the kind of all-around offensive season that made a commitment feel inevitable, even before the front office made it official. For a club trying to build something more stable up front, keeping a player who can drive play in a few different spots is a meaningful piece of the puzzle. [Read more 🡒]
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The bigger question for Philadelphia is whether that promise can eventually translate into something the organization can actually count on. The Flyers are set to open the upcoming season with Dan Vladar and Joseph Woll as their NHL tandem, but Zavragins rise gives the front office a potential long-term answer if his development keeps moving in the right direction. For a team that has waited a while to feel good about a goalie prospect, that alone is worth watching. [Read more 🡒]
Brieres Boldest Flyers Move Just Raised A Bigger Offseason Question
Daniel Briere has spent the summer trying to show the Flyers are not content with another quiet offseason, and the front office has already made that point in more than one way. Philadelphia has added a few pieces in free agency, but the bigger message came from the aggressive push for Leo Carlsson and the extension for Trevor Zegras, moves that signaled a willingness to be bold rather than merely patient.
What makes the next stretch interesting is that the Flyers still have room to keep working, with cap flexibility left to maneuver and a roster that could still change before the season begins. Briere has made clear the door is open for more if the right opportunity appears, which leaves Philadelphia in a familiar but more intriguing place than usual: active enough to matter, yet still waiting on the move that would tell everyone how far this offseason is really going to go. [Read more 🡒]