Daniel Brière, general manager of the Philadelphia Flyers, is currently in turmoil, and for good reason: his eagerness to accelerate the team’s reconstruction has plunged him into a series of major errors.
His choice to give Owen Tippett an 8-year contract, with a salary of $6.2 million per season, is seen as a failed bet, especially given the striker’s recent performances.
Fans wonder if Tippett is truly worthy of such an investment, and many consider this to be a premature contract that will haunt the Flyers for a long time.
But Brière’s most resounding mistake undoubtedly lies in his draft picks. In the 2024 draft, Brière preferred to select Jett Luchanko instead of Zeev Buium, a very prominent defender considered one of the best in his class.
Brière had the possibility of selecting Zeev Buium, a defender whose name was already circulating among analysts as a potential defensive pillar.
Ranked among the best defenders of his generation, Buium is recognized for his intelligence on the ice, his exceptional vision of the game and his ability to maneuver effectively even under pressure.
Many scouts believed he could even be taken in the top 10. However, to everyone’s surprise, Brière decided to give up the 12th pick to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for the 13th pick and a third-round pick in 2025 , thus losing the opportunity to sign a player who could have solidified their defense for years to come.
The Wild did not hesitate for a second and seized Buium, a move applauded by analysts, who saw it as a theft in broad daylight.
Instead, the Flyers selected Jett Luchanko, a fast young center but considered a late first round player by most experts.
A player who is fast on skates, but without any creativity with his hands.
Luchanko is far from matching Buium’s qualities in terms of immediate impact and defensive potential. By opting for Luchanko, Brière bet on a player he sees as a future Nick Suzuki.
However, this comparison does not hold up in the eyes of skeptics: while Nick Suzuki showed remarkable offensive talent from his early years with 96 points in 65 games during his eligibility season,
Luchanko has only 74 points in 68 games with Guelph. Starting the season with the Flyers, Luchanko ultimately only played four games before being sent back to the junior ranks, where his return was not flamboyant with only one point in three games.
It is said that Brière’s obsession with Nick Suzuki made him lose his mind. Brière is in love with the CH captain to the point of having declared after the draft:
“If Luchanko becomes half of Suzuki, we will be happy.”
Brière then lost patience with the journalists.
“No, nothing at all: I don’t regret my choice,”
“Luchanko was a player that our entire staff liked. At equal value, we preferred the center, given our organization chart for the future.”
Still, Philadelphia had the option to choose Buium, a player whose potential was compared to that of a prodigy by scouts.
This choice created anger among the fans, especially since Brière justified his decision by explaining that the size of the team’s defenders was a factor that had convinced him.
He found he had too many small defenders on hand.
But this explanation is far from convincing, especially when we know that Brière recently acquired Jamie Drysdale, a defender considered too fragile and disappointing in his zone for Cutter Gauthier.
Right now, Drysdale is simply one of the worst defensemen in the NHL in his own zone. His game is simply catastrophic.
Brière’s mistakes aren’t limited to the draft and contracts; his goaltenders also struggle to stabilize the Flyers’ defense.
With an average of 3.85 goals conceded per game, Philadelphia is struggling to stay afloat.
Samuel Ersson’s injury caused the ship to sink.
Ivan Fedotov, in whom the organization had high hopes, did not meet expectations, and his replacement, Aleksei Kolosov, struggled to make a difference.
In desperation, Brière even approached the Montreal Canadiens to obtain Cayden Primeau, thus showing to what extent he is looking for immediate solutions.
Brière would have even tried to get Samuel Montembeault, but for the moment, Kent Hughes does not want to budge. Still, Cayden Primeau still remains a possibility in Philadelphia.
In this context, the situation of Matvei Michkov is one of the only positive points of this chaotic reconstruction. With nine points in his first eight games, Michkov has shown promising signs, but his production has dipped recently, perhaps reflecting the instability within the team.
However, the disappointing performances of players like Morgan Frost, Owen Tippett and Bobby Brink highlight the shortcomings of a squad where management errors are increasing.
Instead of establishing a solid foundation for the future, Brière compromised the Flyers’ reconstruction with hasty and poorly calculated decisions.
While the Montreal Canadiens were able to take advantage of their reconstruction process by acquiring a prodigy like Ivan Demidov, Philadelphia seems to be returning to square one.
The next few months will be crucial for Brière, who will have to prove that he is capable of correcting his mistakes and giving the Flyers a clear direction in the reconstruction, they who have 3 first round picks in the next draft.
One thing is clear: he will continue to call Kent Hughes for Cayden Primeau…and for Nick Suzuki?
