Expectations change: Playoffs now the Flyers’ priority after GM Danny Brière’s deadline wizardry

SUNRISE, Fla. -- The Flyers this week told Nick Seeler, a 30-year-old defenseman who has been an afterthought most of his career, that they could trade him to a Stanley Cup contender if he wanted. Seeler declined. He signed an extension instead.

That’s what the Flyers have going on with general manager Danny Brière, coach John Tortorella, and president Keith Jones, as their rebuild continues to exceed expectations. That’s what Seeler wants to be a part of. He hasn’t seen a playoff game in six years, when he was a 24-year-old rookie in Minnesota, but Seeler wants to stay.

» READ MORE: Flyers defenseman Nick Seeler thrilled to call Philly ‘home’ with new contract extension

Incredibly, thanks to firm coaching, some injury luck, and the development of players young and old, the Flyers themselves could land Seeler back in the postseason for years to come.

As a matter of fact, the rebuild isn’t the focus anymore. The “New Era of Orange,” as they branded themselves, has become an old-school playoff push.

“We’re inside the playoff bubble,” Brière said last Friday, grinning, and perhaps a little incredulous. “Like all of our fans, we’re really excited about that. Hopefully, we can keep it rolling. Getting to the playoffs — that’s the goal from now on.”

Just like old times.

The Flyers held third place in the Metropolitan Division with 19 games to play when they began their game at Florida on Thursday night, then stole two points on the road from the best team in hockey when they scored with 21 seconds to play for a 2-1 win.

The day before they’d traded overachieving defenseman Sean Walker to the Colorado Avalanche for a first-round pick in 2025, cashing out before they paid Walker too much cash; he’ll probably get about $5 million per year this summer, and that’s not an item on the Flyers’ menu. They gave Seeler, his partner this season, four years and $10.8 million ($2.7 annual average value), and that’s a house special.

“If something makes sense, we will add,” Brière said before Thursday night’s win. “I’m not forcing things.”

Translation: Unless they can convince someone to give them a juicy first-rounder for streaking forward Scott Laughton before the 3 p.m. trade deadline Thursday, then they’re probably done. And they’ve done very, very well. They have at least 10 draft picks this year. They have two first-rounders and at least two second-rounders next year.

» READ MORE: Trade grades: Evaluating the Sean Walker trade as Flyers net first-rounder in return

In January, they extended brilliant, 25-year-old forward Owen Tippett for eight years and $49.6 million ($6.2 AAV). Tippett was part of the haul Claude Giroux brought when the Flyers let Florida rent him in 2022. Now, Seeler will be part of the bulwark behind Tippett’s mad dashes.

“It’s a contract that puts us in a good position,” Brière said. “You trade Nick Seeler, you’re looking for the next Nick Seeler the next day. Those guys are tough to find. I was receiving a lot of calls. We felt we were getting more value by re-signing him.”

Stretch runs and playoff series are invaluable, Brière said.

“This team has outperformed what everybody expected,” said Brière, who, like Jones, figured, at best, they’d have Tortorella coaching a club that was chasing a playoff spot. “We hoped to play some meaningful games at this time of this year, and we’ve exceeded that. I see it as a great opportunity.

“There’s going to be lots of value just playing these 19 games, trying to defend the position we’re in.”

Really, things hardly could have gone better. All-Star winger Travis Konecy returned from a six-game injury absence Thursday night. Seeler has a foot injury from blocking a shot that should clear up quickly.

There have been bumps. Cutter Gauthier, teh Boston College forward who was the No. 5 overall pick of the Flyers in 2022, forced a trade in January that netted young defenseman Jamie Drysdale, who is hurt again. Franchise goalie Carter Hart in January left the team and was charged with sexual assault.

But the Flyers are moving in the right direction for the first time in a long time.

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They are what they are, and, for the moment, that’s a playoff team, loaded with young talent, bursting with long-term assets ... a win-now team with a spectacular future.

Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that?