Trader Danny? Examining Brière’s many moves since taking over as Flyers GM

Danny Brière has been the Flyers’ general manager for only a year, but he’s been one busy man, in part because of the many messes his predecessor Chuck Fletcher left for him to clean up.

Brière just wrapped up his first trade deadline with a four-pack of moves, both additions and subtractions, bringing his personal trade tally to a whopping nine since assuming the job on March 10 of last year.

How has the rookie GM fared at the bargaining table? Here’s a look back at each of “Trader Danny’s” moves as Flyers GM. (This does not include the Flyers playing broker in Noah Hanifin’s trade from Calgary to Vegas.)

» READ MORE: Danny Brière checked almost all the right boxes at his first trade deadline as Flyers GM

Flyers: Acquired goaltender Cal Petersen, defenseman Sean Walker, defenseman Helge Grans, and a 2024 second-round pick from Los Angeles. They also received a 2023 first-round pick (No. 22 overall) and a conditional second-rounder from Columbus. (Columbus can convey the second-round pick in 2024 or 2025.)

Blue Jackets: Acquired defenseman Ivan Provorov from the Flyers (30% salary retained by Los Angeles for two seasons).

Kings: Acquired defenseman Kevin Connauton and forward Hayden Hodgson.

Analysis: Brière did anything but ease into his new gig, instead pulling off a difficult three-team deal on June 6. The first-year GM flipped a regressing Provorov, who didn’t seem to want to be here, and landed a first- and future second-round pick from Columbus to kick-start the Flyers’ rebuild. At the same time, he cleverly weaponized the Flyers’ available cap space by taking on two contracts from the cap-strapped Kings, who were desperate to clear space to sign free-agent defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov. In return for taking on two years of Petersen’s $5 million cap hit, and a year of Walker at $2.65 million, the Flyers landed a prospect in 6-foot-3 blueliner Grans, 21, and an additional second-rounder.

Grade: A. Brière recouped a massive haul for Provorov, who struggled mightily in the previous two seasons. The Flyers picked promising defenseman Oliver Bonk with the first-rounder, used the Kings’ 2024 second-round pick to move up and grab goaltender Carson Bjarnason, and still have a second-round pick from Columbus to come. The icing on the cake was turning “throw-in” Walker into another first-round pick at this year’s trade deadline.

Flyers: Acquired a sixth-round pick from St. Louis.

Blues: Acquired center Kevin Hayes from the Flyers (50% salary retained by Flyers for three seasons).

Analysis: Entering the summer, it was no secret that the Flyers were going to trade Hayes. Despite the veteran having maybe his best career offensive season (18 goals, 54 points), he and John Tortorella’s repeated clashes had made a divorce all but inevitable. Multiple benchings (for games and within games), decreased ice time over the second half of the season, and Tortorella’s public criticism of Hayes, led to Brière and the Flyers cutting ties with Hayes.

Grade: C. Tortorella repeatedly said last season that the Flyers locker room ”needed to change” and you didn’t have to be a mind reader to know who the coach was referring to. Given that, Brière took an available deal despite the underwhelming return. While the Flyers would have hoped to land a higher pick — maybe a fourth-rounder — for retaining 50% salary for three years on a 50-point player, Tortorella had cut the organization’s legs out from a leverage standpoint. Hayes hasn’t done much this season (25 points in 65 games), so it isn’t as if the Flyers got fleeced, either.

Flyers: Acquired a 2023 second-round pick (No. 51) from Chicago (originally from Tampa Bay).

Blackhawks: Acquired a 2023 sixth-round pick (No. 167) and a 2024 second-rounder from the Flyers (acquired from the Kings in the Provorov trade).

Analysis: Without a second-round pick in 2023, Brière and the Flyers moved into Round 2 to land the No. 51 overall pick for Carson Bjarnason, the top-ranked North American goalie in the class. Given Carter Hart’s pending sexual assault case and uncertain future, the Flyers continued to fortify the goaltender position. The Flyers also could afford to part with the 2024 pick, given that they could have four selections in the top two rounds in 2024.

Grade: B. For swapping a 2024 second-rounder for a 2023 second-rounder and a sixth-rounder, Brière added another talented young goalie to the organization’s stable of netminders. Bjarnason is far from a finished product, but he impressed at development camp, and with his size (6-foot-3, 203 pounds) and tools, he could factor into the Flyers’ future in the crease in two or three years.

Flyers: Acquired the signing rights to forward Rizzo and a fifth-round pick from Carolina.

Hurricanes: Acquired the signing rights to forward David Kaše from the Flyers.

Analysis: In a minor deal, the Flyers landed Rizzo for Kaše, a player who is unlikely to ever come back over to North America. Kaše, 27, was a fifth-round pick of the Flyers in 2015 and played just seven NHL games before returning to Czechia in 2021-22. Rizzo, who turns 23 this summer, is having a great season at the University of Denver, ranking No. 6 nationally in points per game (1.57). This deal seemed to be a wink-wink from the Hurricanes after the Flyers bought out Tony DeAngelo instead of trading him to Carolina to save the ‘Canes a few bucks.

Grade: B-. The Flyers got their hands on a late-bloomer of a prospect in Rizzo, who has made a significant jump this season as a junior. While the 5-11, 174-pound winger is not guaranteed to be an NHL player due to his size and questions surrounding his skating, he does have elite hands and passing vision. The Flyers like him and hope they have uncovered a hidden gem.

Flyers: Acquired defenseman Jamie Drysdale and a 2025 second-round pick from Anaheim.

Ducks: Acquired forward Cutter Gauthier from the Flyers.

Analysis: This was an absolute shocker, as everyone outside of the organization assumed Gauthier would be a pillar of the Flyers’ rebuild. But below the surface, there was trouble, as Gauthier and his representation had told the Flyers he did not want to play for the organization and sought to be traded. In fact, Gauthier’s camp even refused to meet with Brière and president Keith Jones in Sweden after this year’s World Junior Championship — where Gauthier was named best forward after leading the United States to a gold medal with a joint-tournament-high 12 points.

» READ MORE: Trading Cutter Gauthier is the Flyers’ first big setback in their rebuild

The Flyers seemed to explore every avenue of reconciliation with the player, but there was no changing Gauthier’s mind. On Jan. 8, Brière pulled the trigger on what could be a legacy-defining trade centered around Drysdale, who thanks to his smooth skating and major offensive upside, was the No. 6 overall pick in 2020. The addition of a second-round pick secured another premium asset for the Flyers’ draft cupboard.

Grade: B-. The Flyers traded the best prospect here in Gauthier, who leads college hockey with 32 goals in 34 games. The 6-3, 190-pound Boston College star is a big, strong forward who, regardless of whether he plays center or wing in the NHL, possesses an elite shot, plays a downhill game, and showed some underrated potential as a playmaker at the World Juniors. Having scored goals at every level — World Juniors, NCAA, World Championships — he projects as a regular 30- or 40-goal scorer at the NHL level. Those guys don’t grow on trees and he at least represented a potential solution to the question of which prospect the Flyers’ long-term No. 1 center would be.

There are also real injury and defensive concerns with Drysdale. He missed most of the last year-and-a-half with various ailments and has been unavailable for the last six games with an upper-body injury that could potentially keep him out for the remainder of the season. While Brière unfortunately had little choice when it came to trading a talent like Gauthier, Drysdale’s injury woes are troubling, and if that trend continues this deal could be one we look back on as a real lopsided one in a few years.

Flyers: Acquired a 2025 first-round pick and center Ryan Johansen from Colorado.

Avalanche: Acquired Walker and a 2026 fifth-round pick.

Analysis: Brière set the asking price for Walker as a first-round pick and he got it, even if that required taking on $4 million of Johansen’s cap hit for the next season-and-a-half. Walker far exceeded expectations in his few months in Philadelphia and was a valuable piece to this year’s team, but the Flyers were right to cash in on the 29-year-old defenseman, who is poised to be an unrestricted free agent.

The Flyers don’t seem to have plans to play the 31-year-old Johansen and could elect to buy him out this summer.

Grade: A-. This represents a major win for Brière, who turned a few months of Walker’s best hockey into a future first-round pick. Walker was a cap casualty in Los Angeles, but his impressive play, particularly in transition, probably elevated a potential return from a fourth- or fifth-round pick before the season to a first-rounder. Brière deserves credit here for sticking to his guns as Calgary accepted less (a second-rounder) for a similar and more proven defenseman in Chris Tanev before the deadline. The Flyers are now armed with two first-round picks in both 2024 and 2025, which should help expedite their rebuild.

Flyers: Acquired defenseman Erik Johnson from Buffalo.

Sabres: Acquired a fourth-round pick from the Flyers.

Analysis: The Flyers front office was adamant that the organization would not be a buyer or compromise the future with costly short-term moves. That said, Brière admitted the team would not be opposed to adding cost-effective pieces on short-term deals where it made sense. With Walker traded and three other defensemen on injured reserve, the Flyers were looking to add a depth defenseman to help them stay afloat in the playoff race. Enter Johnson, a veteran of almost 1,000 games and a Stanley Cup winner in 2022 with Colorado.

Grade: B-. While a fourth-round pick might have been a round higher than preferred, Johnson fits a team need amid an injury crisis. He also brings championship pedigree to a team that previously didn’t have a Stanley Cup winner on the roster. An extremely well-respected pro who turns 36 this month and has seen it all during his career, Johnson is an ideal character for the Flyers to bring in as a mentor for the young players down the stretch. Adding him was also a good reward for the players who have defied expectations and have the team pushing for the postseason. With the team loaded with picks the next few years, I am fine with the price given the wisdom a guy like Johnson can impart.

Flyers: Acquired winger Denis Gurianov.

Predators: Acquired winger Wade Allison.

Analysis: This deal was about giving two players who were formerly highly held prospects a change of scenery. Tortorella seemed to have made up his mind on Allison, who had cleared waivers in October and hadn’t gotten an NHL look this season. A former second-rounder, Allison found his time in Philly marred by injuries and Brière acknowledged the Flyers wanted to give him a fresh start. In return, the Flyers took a chance on Gurianov, a former lottery pick who scored 20 goals in 2019-20 and has bounced around since. A speedy skater with size (6-3, 205), Gurianov has some intriguing tools that the Flyers believe warrant exploring.

Grade: C+: This is a worthwhile gamble given Gurianov’s pace and previous playoff success, although I’m skeptical it will lead to major results. Allison, now 26, wasn’t going to pan out here, so why not bring in a different face who has more high-end skill? Gurianov has bounced around the last few years and has some major holes in his game, but the Flyers have had some success with reclamation projects in recent years. Why not?