Briere makes mini splash with Poehling deal
It’s been 16 years since then-general manager Paul Holmgren, desperate to rebuild an NHL-worst team as quickly as possible, signed Buffalo scoring star Danny Briere to an eight-year, $52 million contract, on the first day of NHL free agency. He wanted the veteran to come in and teach a few talented young Flyers how to play in the big league.
All of three years later, the Flyers were losing a Stanley Cup final in six games to star-stocked Chicago.
Now third in line since Holmgren was kicked upstairs from the GM chair, Briere greeted free agency Saturday, perhaps wistfully remembering days of millions gone by, but indicating he was reveling in what is now the league’s full-on press for free agency frugality.
“We inquired on a lot of different players,” Briere said. “Again on free agency, you saw the money that’s being thrown left and right. One day we might be there. One day we might be in a position where it makes sense to do that. I just didn’t feel that right now it’s what’s needed for the direction that we’re going in.”
Round and ’round they go, these perpetually rebuilding Flyers, but under the newly adopted marketing plan of “New Era of Orange,” green apparently has no place.
But that doesn’t mean Briere isn’t allowed to improve his team.
In that optimistic vein, he green-lighted a one-year, $1.4 million contract for Ryan Poehling, a first-round draft pick by Montreal six years ago with 20 career NHL goals. Frugality in action.
“With Ryan, the upside is pretty interesting, at his age and the position; he can play wing or center,” Briere said. “I think it’s very exciting, right in line with what we’re trying to do, giving our young guys the chance to play. I think he fits in with that timeline at his age.”
The 24-year-old Minnesotan
was also known as the MVP of the 2019 World Junior Championships for silver-medal winning Team USA. If there were any question about his scoring prowess, he debuted with the Canadiens on April 6, 2019 against Toronto and promptly scored a hat trick — the first Montreal player to do that in 76 years.
So what has happened since?
A bevy of injuries, both in the AHL and NHL. After being traded from a terrible Montreal team to Pittsburgh last year, Poehling seemed to be finding himself as a checking line defensive center, then suffered an upper body injury. He was put on long-term injured reserve and eventually was left unqualified by the Penguins.
At 6-2, 195 he should have the physicality and puck skills of a guy who could be effective in a third-line role. Instead, he hasn’t been able to stay healthy for extended periods of time. He has played 138 NHL games, scoring 20 goals and 36 points. At what could rightly be called a bargain price, however, Briere is willing to take the padlock and chains off the organizational purse strings.
Maybe he pulled a few bucks out of his wallet, too.
“It’s a no-brainer to bring in a guy like Ryan Poehling, a guy that wants to prove himself, who’s willing to put in the work and bet on himself on a one-year deal,” Briere said.
Back in 2007, Holmgren said largely the same kinds of things about Briere. Except that it was about a guy with seven more years and $50 million more dollars spent on him. During the run up of free agency day — historically one of free-spending hockey bosses doling out long-term contracts and shiny no-trade perks — Saturday’s signings were instructive.
Most of the big-money allocations came for goaltenders, of all oddball players, with very-old-school Islanders boss Lou Lamoriello topping everyone by taking on a top-shelf goalie in Semyon
Varlamov with an eight-year, $66 million deal. It was the only one that looked like the kind of deal Briere received … 16 years prior.
•••
NOTES » Briere said Day 1 of free agency isn’t necessarily Day Last: “We did look into more of a veteran presence in the lineup both up front and on defense,” he said, “we just didn’t find the proper fit today. We’re going to keep looking.” … Although Travis
Sanheim was leaked recently as part of a potential multi-player deal with St. Louis that wound up only as a Kevin Hayes giveaway, Briere said “I don’t imagine him being moved at this point.” That’s likely because his notrade clause has kicked. … As for Sean Couturier, who hasn’t played in nearly two years due to injury, Briere said he’s “gung ho. … He seems to think everything is back to normal for him.”