Through multiple sources I have learned the Flyers will officially be using one of their two compliance buyouts to buy out the remaining two years of the contract of Danny Briere. (e5)
There has been a ton of speculation surrounding both Briere and Bryzgalov. I am told the Bryzgalov decision has not yet been made and it is possible the team waits one more year before buying out Bryz. The decision to buy out Bryz looks to be more tied to which opportunities the Flyers have over the next month. I was told if the Flyers have the opportunity to make the kind of splash they want to make they won't hesitate to free up the money and space by buying out Bryz.
As for Briere, those I talk to say this was an extremely difficult decision for a Flyers team that is often a tight knit family...but the cap decrease over the next year puts the Flyers already over the cap and the savings of Briere's large cap hit is the only way the Flyers can make any moves to improves on some of the teams biggest holes...especially on the blue line.
I wouldn't be surprised in the least to see Briere return to Philly at some point. There have been very few more popular players in Flyers history and you would be hard pressed to find many classier people in the sport today. And Flyers fans know all about the organization loving to bring back guys who reach a certain level of love and respect in the city...see most recently Simon Gagne and Mike Knuble...
Briere will immediately become one of the most sought after UFA's out there for all he brings to a team on the ice and off. In Philly Briere's numbers dropped as the Flyers lacked transitional defenders to get him the puck up ice. I have often commented Briere is like a star NFL Wide Receiver with lightning fast speed who can stretch the defense...But receivers need quarterbacks to get them the ball so they can do their thing...The Flyers lack Qb's and last season you would constantly see Briere in great position flying up the ice and the Flyers D was unable to connect.
Briere also brings an extra element of clutch to a team. Since the lockout no player has put up bigger numbers in the post season and there have been countless instances where a Briere goal would change a series or even extend a series for the Flyers and before them the Sabres. In many ways Briere's playoff numbers are reminiscent of Claude Lemieux's in the nineties. Hard to put a value on just how important such a clutch players can be in a playoffs which has seen countless OT and one goal games it's the players like Danny who are often the difference between golfing and heading to the next round and lifting hardware.
Off the ice Briere has also been invaluable for the team as Briere mentored and housed both Claude Giroux and Sean Couturier as well as countless charity events and even coaching many of the best young kids for Team Comcast one of the top youth hockey programs in the country.
More to come....
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