Rumor: Briere to become a top UFA after Flyers definite buyout. Bryz Still 50/50.

[Push Dr Tracksuit]

If you're just shooting for a veteran to hang around and "do the right things" off the ice, you could do a hell of a lot better than Briere. How about somebody who's won a cup? How about somebody who kills penalties and plays the tough minutes? I'm not opposed to the idea in principle, but I am opposed to bringing in a guy who I think is going to carry the expectation of being a top 6 center, forces our top prospects to see ****** line and ice time, plays the PP (easy minutes), and doesn't even bring the kind of experience I want the kids to be surrounded by.

List the ones we can get from UFA and then quote me saying I'll take um.

 

[haseoke39]

List the ones we can get from UFA and then quote me saying I'll take um.

Instead of that, I'll just leave this here. There's more than a few cup winners.

http://www.capgeek.com/free-agents

But I'm not going to waste time proving things to you that I'm not even interested in. I could care less if we brought in another veteran this summer. That's not our need right now.

 

[SabresFanNorthPortFL]

I don't consider acquiring Couturier and Read to be "franchise defining." I don't even know if it gets us back into the playoffs. But I do know it would free us up to move some other players in the quest for #1. Grigorenko becomes easily expendable in a post-Couturier world.

Trading Miller is franchise defining.

Trading Miller for a very young, experienced two way center that's been needed forever, that shut down one of the premiere talents in the world, a center who helps you win in the playoffs, that's franchise defining.

Trading Miller and getting value back is franchise defining.

It may not get us back in the playoffs but next year (2015) and until 2022, he'll be a main piece of the team, hopefully a contending team.

 

[haseoke39]

Trading Miller is franchise defining.

Trading Miller for a very young, experienced two way center that's been needed forever, that shut down one of the premiere talents in the world, a center who helps you win in the playoffs, that's franchise defining.

Trading Miller and getting value back is franchise defining.

It may not get us back in the playoffs but next year (2015) and until 2022, he'll be a main piece of the team, hopefully a contending team.

Semantics, then. As long as we're aware that the biggest pieces in the rebuild are yet to be added.

 

[Timbo Slice]

I would take him back in a heartbeat.

 

[Push Dr Tracksuit]

Instead of that, I'll just leave this here. There's more than a few cup winners.

http://www.capgeek.com/free-agents

But I'm not going to waste time proving things to you that I'm not even interested in. I could care less if we brought in another veteran this summer. That's not our need right now.

Can't be bothered to prove what? That it worked when we last left the team to a bunch a kids? Aide you cant because it didn't. Briere is an option and that cup experienced Pker is going to a cup team an aging goal scorer who can't play top line minutes is the kind of vet that comes to a rebuilding team to lose in peace and pick up some valuable coaching experience and an in with a pro organization. We will suck next year it doesn't matter what Vets we bring in. We need to all get on board with bringing someone in that I already own his jersey. That's really what's important here.

 

[jBuds]

All depends on price

 

[ZZamboni]

A lot of assumption, i know. However ...

Would a 36 year old (when the season starts) Briere want to only ink one last contract before he retires? I say yes.

Does he think he can contribute until age 40-41? I say yes.

Would at least one GM be willing to agree with Briere about his longevity? I say yes.

So if Briere thinks he can play for 5 years, and a GM agrees, what can he demand AND get? I say north of 4 mil. per. Perhaps as much as 5 mil. per.

I really don't think he'll accept a 2, 3, or 4 year deal. Unless it's for inflated money from a crazy GM.

I guess some idiot GM could throw a 3 year, 15 mil. at him, but I doubt it. Time will tell.

 

[Der Jaeger]

Isnt this what trainers and strength and conditioning coaches are for?

Almost two decades ago, an old Army sergeant major told me some wise words: everyone needs a dad. He meant everyone needs a mentor. You don't get that from coaches, trainers, coaches, etc. You get mentorship from people doing your job but who are more experienced at doing that job.

Guys like Hodgson, Weber, etc. have leadership potential. But it would be beyond invaluable to have a guy like Briere around, who has already been a captain, to mentor the younger leaders. I am completely on-board with bringing Briere back for the short-term, even if his skills place him on the third-line taking advantage of weak QoC and high o-zone starts, just to get by. His mentorship ability is worth it. Wonder why Regier was so willing to pay out the nostrils for Doan last summer. This team needs leadership in the worst way.

 

[SabresFanNorthPortFL]

Semantics, then. As long as we're aware that the biggest pieces in the rebuild are yet to be added.

Agreed.

Couts would be top 3 pieces of that rebuild. Major offensive force and top pairing dman are the other two.

 

[Beerz]

Almost two decades ago, an old Army sergeant major told me some wise words: everyone needs a dad. He meant everyone needs a mentor. You don't get that from coaches, trainers, coaches, etc. You get mentorship from people doing your job but who are more experienced at doing that job.

Guys like Hodgson, Weber, etc. have leadership potential. But it would be beyond invaluable to have a guy like Briere around, who has already been a captain, to mentor the younger leaders. I am completely on-board with bringing Briere back for the short-term, even if his skills place him on the third-line taking advantage of weak QoC and high o-zone starts, just to get by. His mentorship ability is worth it. Wonder why Regier was so willing to pay out the nostrils for Doan last summer. This team needs leadership in the worst way.

I agree with your overall premise of "everyone needing a Dad" (mentor) and its best for it to be from someone doing the "same job" as you.. I think it helps..but is not a defining element into a player reaching his potential. It all comes from within...

I see Doan as a different sort of mentor...just watching him play and setting examples on the ice is what players would get most out of Doan..

I can do without Briere.

 

[BCS]

So if Briere thinks he can play for 5 years, and a GM agrees, what can he demand AND get? I say north of 4 mil. per. Perhaps as much as 5 mil. per.

Briere will get three years at the absolute max. Even that's pushing it. He's a 36-year-old one-way player in the midst of a sharp decline. No one is going to give him a five-year, $20-25 million deal. That's beyond crazy.

 

[joshjull]

Almost two decades ago, an old Army sergeant major told me some wise words: everyone needs a dad. He meant everyone needs a mentor. You don't get that from coaches, trainers, coaches, etc. You get mentorship from people doing your job but who are more experienced at doing that job.

Guys like Hodgson, Weber, etc. have leadership potential. But it would be beyond invaluable to have a guy like Briere around, who has already been a captain, to mentor the younger leaders. I am completely on-board with bringing Briere back for the short-term, even if his skills place him on the third-line taking advantage of weak QoC and high o-zone starts, just to get by. His mentorship ability is worth it. Wonder why Regier was so willing to pay out the nostrils for Doan last summer. This team needs leadership in the worst way.

Briere doesn't fit with our current center group. He would be yet another offensive center with defensive deficiencies that would need sheltering with high o-zone starts. The other options at the moment being Hodgson, Ennis and Grigs. Its mathematically impossible to give them all a sheltered high O-zone starts.

 

[DJN21]

Briere doesn't fit with our current center group. He would be yet another offensive center with defensive deficiencies that would need sheltering with high o-zone starts. The other options at the moment being Hodgson, Ennis and Grigs. Its mathematically impossible to give them all a sheltered high O-zone starts.

I dont really see many teams bringing Briere on at this point as a center regardless. His role will/should be as a scoring winger with at least a center or opposite wing who are a + defensively and can help cover for him. I see him as the straw that stirs a line with a good defensive forward and a promising young forward i.e Grigorenko and Ott/Foligno or if you wanna go youth Girgensons/Larsson/Foligno

 

[joshjull]

I dont really see many teams bringing Briere on at this point as a center regardless. His role will/should be as a scoring winger with at least a center or opposite wing who are a + defensively and can help cover for him. I see him as the straw that stirs a line with a good defensive forward and a promising young forward i.e Grigorenko and Ott/Foligno or if you wanna go youth Girgensons/Larsson/Foligno

He's past being the guy thats the "straw that stirs a line" (at least during the regular season). Though he has played wing, he's best as a center. He doesn't fit here at all.

We need vets that can play a strong defensive game to help the young skill guys we have.

 

[La Cosa Nostra]

I would gladly give Briere a 3 year/12 million dollar deal.I think it could convince Vanek to want to stay.

Vanek-Briere-Ott
Ennis-Hodgson-Stafford

With Foligno and Leino as the next 2 options for a top 6.I think a Vanek-Briere combo could be deadly.Vanek would score 40+ easily and I could see Briere putting up a 25-40-65 season centering Vanek.I really don't like Ott in the top 6 but with Poms gone, our RW is extremely weak.This team needs Stafford to return to being a 25 goal scorer atleast.

 

[joshjull]

I would gladly give Briere a 3 year/12 million dollar deal.I think it could convince Vanek to want to stay.

Vanek-Briere-Ott
Ennis-Hodgson-Stafford

With Foligno and Leino as the next 2 options for a top 6.I think a Vanek-Briere combo could be deadly.Vanek would score 40+ easily and I could see Briere putting up a 25-40-65 season centering Vanek.I really don't like Ott in the top 6 but with Poms gone, our RW is extremely weak.This team needs Stafford to return to being a 25 goal scorer atleast.

Briere is not a #1 center any more. Hell, he hardly even played center on the Flyers this year and they were as bad as we were. But you see him coming here to be a top line center?

 

[Corto]

Briere is not a #1 center any more. Hell, he hardly even played center on the Flyers this year and they were as bad as we were. But you see him coming here to be a top line center?

Offensively, I'd still take Briere over Hodgson (and it's hardly like Hodgson is a defensive dynamo).
While he had a rough year, Briere is one year removed from having another great playoffs.

 

[Chainshot]

If you're just shooting for a veteran to hang around and "do the right things" off the ice, you could do a hell of a lot better than Briere. How about somebody who's won a cup? How about somebody who kills penalties and plays the tough minutes? I'm not opposed to the idea in principle, but I am opposed to bringing in a guy who I think is going to carry the expectation of being a top 6 center, forces our top prospects to see ****** line and ice time, plays the PP (easy minutes), and doesn't even bring the kind of experience I want the kids to be surrounded by.

You mean like Bickell?

 

[La Cosa Nostra]

Briere is not a #1 center any more. Hell, he hardly even played center on the Flyers this year and they were as bad as we were. But you see him coming here to be a top line center?

Just because I put him on the "top" line doesn't definitively say if they are the best center.I think Briere would have some very nice chemistry with Vanek.Steve Ott has scored more then 35 points in a season 3 times in 10 season, yet in Buffalo he was on the 1st line regularly.

Anyway,the past 4 seasons Briere has scored at a 60 point/82 game pace.I would gladly take that as a #1 center.It also allows Hodgson to get some sheltered minutes and not top defensive assignments.Being the top center this past year Hodgson did exceptionally well all things considered.Having a veteran center to play behind will be even more beneficial.

 

[Deevo]

If you guys think that Briere wants to join a rebuilding team at 36 years old you are crazy.

 

[Der Jaeger]

I agree with your overall premise of "everyone needing a Dad" (mentor) and its best for it to be from someone doing the "same job" as you.. I think it helps..but is not a defining element into a player reaching his potential. It all comes from within...

I see Doan as a different sort of mentor...just watching him play and setting examples on the ice is what players would get most out of Doan..

I can do without Briere.

I disagree. It's one of the defining elements in teams reaching their potential, individual players included. How many players got better with Drury leading the way? It matters, immensely.

Eg: assume Hodgson becomes the captain, with Briere on the team. Briere helps Hodgson become a better leader. Hodgson makes the team better through leadership.

Mentoring doesn't need to just be on ice examples.

 

[Der Jaeger]

Briere doesn't fit with our current center group. He would be yet another offensive center with defensive deficiencies that would need sheltering with high o-zone starts. The other options at the moment being Hodgson, Ennis and Grigs. Its mathematically impossible to give them all a sheltered high O-zone starts.

Vanek - Hodgson - Ennis
Foligno - xxx - Ott
Leino - Grigorenko - Briere

Stafford fills in if Vanek is traded, or not on the team if he's traded.

Not perfect, but with a defensive center added, it'd work short term. At least until Girgensons or Larsson is added.

 

[Zip15]

I would gladly give Briere a 3 year/12 million dollar deal.I think it could convince Vanek to want to stay.

Vanek-Briere-Ott
Ennis-Hodgson-Stafford

With Foligno and Leino as the next 2 options for a top 6.I think a Vanek-Briere combo could be deadly.Vanek would score 40+ easily and I could see Briere putting up a 25-40-65 season centering Vanek.I really don't like Ott in the top 6 but with Poms gone, our RW is extremely weak.This team needs Stafford to return to being a 25 goal scorer atleast.

I think any return to Buffalo by Briere presupposes a reunion with Leino with the hope that it sparks both players. At this stage in his career, I'd prefer Briere on a wing. If this organization would ever get a clue re: player usage, a Leino-Hodgson-Briere line getting soft offensive minutes would likely produce.

 

[Wisent42]

Not only would I take him back, I would slap a C on his chest. We need a vet, a leader. Yes, he's been bad a while, but he's also been injured. Getting back to Buffalo, leading a young team, could spark his game again. Briere could be a useful transition player and give Hodgson, Grigorenko and other both time to develop and tips on how to do it. I would even consider taking on his current contract for two years and let Philly save a buyout.