Fist Pumpin' Out of Philly
Danny Briere's classic "fist pump" celebration. Photo courtesy of: http://www.rantsports.com/clubhouse/2012/10/18/top-30-celebrations-in-sports-today/
I sit here writing this post wearing a large, black, number 48, Danny Briere Philadelphia Flyers shirt. It is only fitting that this was the shirt I chose to pick out before I sat down to type what I have to say today.
On July 1st, 2007, Danny Briere became a member of the Philadelphia Flyers by signing an eight year, 52 million dollar contract.
The Philadelphia Flyers should amnesty Danny Briere before the 2013-14 NHL regular season. After spending six sub par seasons in Philadelphia and now that the Flyers have the ability to amnesty two players from the new Collective Bargaining agreement, Briere should be let go.
Heres why:
1. Age
Briere turns 36 October 6th, and in today's NHL that is almost ancient. Obviously, as players age, their production slowly reduces as in the case with Briere.
2. Lack of Production
Let's check out Briere's numbers with the six years he's spent in Orange and Black, as well as his last year in Buffalo.
Regular Season Statistics:
2006-07 – Buffalo Sabres – 81 games played – 32 goals – 63 – assists – 95 points – Plus / Minus of 17
This was his best year offensively as he finished 10th in the league in points. After this massive year, Briere hit free agency and signed his deal with the Flyers.
Signed with Philadelphia 2007.
2007-08 – 79 games played – 31 goals – 41 assists – 72 points – Plus / Minus of -22
2008-09 - 29 games played – 11 goals – 14 assists – 25 points – Plus / Minus of -1
2009-10 - 75 games played – 26 goals – 27 assists – 53 points – Plus / Minus of -2
2010-11 - 77 games played – 34 goals – 34 assists – 68 points – Plus / Minus of 20
2011-12 - 70 games played – 16 goals – 33 assists – 49 points – Plus / Minus of 5
2012-13 - 34 games played – 6 goals – 10 assists – 16 points – Plus / Minus of -13
TOTAL – 364 games played – 124 goals – 159 assists – 283 points – Plus / Minus of -13
AVERGAGE – 60.1 games played – 20.1 goals – 26.5 assists – 46.6 points
Briere has never been even close to registering 95 points with the Flyers. His highest point total in the regular season with Philly was his first year when he posted 31 goals, 41 assists for 72 points.
Those statistics are not worth his contract.
One can argue that if Briere has such a stellar post-season statistics that it should not matter if he has sub-par regular season statistics. Let's breakdown his stats:
Playoff Statistics:
Again, we will begin with his last season in Buffalo when he had a monster regular season, finishing with 95 points.
2006-07 – Buffalo Sabres -16 games played – 3 goals – 12 assists – 15 points – Plus / Minus of 3
With Philadelphia
2007-08 – 17 games played – 9 goals – 7 assists – 16 points – Plus / Minus of - 3
2008-09 – 6 games played – 1 goals – 3 assists – 4 points - Plus / Minus of - 1
2009-10 – 23 games played – 12 goals – 18 assists – 30 points - Plus / Minus of 9 (Cup Final Year)
2010-11 – 11 games played – 7 goals – 2 assists – 9 points - Plus / Minus of - 7
2011-12 – 11 games played – 8 goals – 5 assists – 13 points - Plus / Minus of – 6
TOTAL – 68 games played – 37 goals – 35 assists - 72 points
AVERAGE – 13.5 games played – 7.4 goals – 7 assists – 14.4 points
There are no 2012-2013 playoff statistics for Danny Briere because the Flyers failed to make the playoffs.
As one can see, Briere is lethal in the playoffs. He averages a bit over a point per game and has proven to be extremely clutch when the game is on the line. Yet, he only averaged 46.6 points a year with the Flyers in the regular season. He has not played up to the size of his 8 year, 52 million dollar contract!
Briere has had success in the playoffs, but if he can not help lead his team into the playoffs (as for the case of the 2012-13 Flyers) then those statistics have hold no weight. Yes, there is no way that it was just Briere's lack of production that kept the Flyers from making the playoffs this year, but he could have definitely been a bigger help offensively.
3. Cap Hit
The most obvious reason to amnesty Briere is due to his contract. According to Capgeek.com Briere's cap hit is 6.5 million per year, which is colossal, especially for a player who is not producing enough for the size of his contract. Check out these players who have a similar cap hit to Briere's:
Cap Hit Comparisons:
25 year old Anze Kopitar of the LA Kings – 6.8 million
34 year old Pavel Datsyuk of the Detroit Red Wings – 6.7 million
33 year old Brad Richards of the New York Rangers – 6.67 million
24 year old Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks – 6.3 million
25 year old Jonathan Towes of the Chicago Blackhawks – 6.3 million
32 year old Henrik and Daniel Sedin of the Vancouver Canucks – 6.1 million
Kopitar, Datsyuk, Richads, Kane and Towes have all won Stanley Cups. One can argue that all of these players have played up to their contract better than Briere has.
Closing Remark
Do not get me wrong, Danny Briere has been a solid NHL player and is a beast in the playoffs. He's posted 109 points in 108 career post-season games. With the Flyers he has played in 68 playoffs games and has registered 72 points.
Besides, if he did not suffer a concussion before this year's trade-deadline, Briere may very well be playing against the New York Rangers as a member of the Boston Bruins. There were indications and rumors that Briere would have been traded to Boston before he suffered his concussion.
Due to Briere's age, lack of production, and excessive contract, the Philadelphia Flyers should amnesty him before the 2013-14 regular season. It just makes sense to get rid of the bad, overpriced contract they gave to him back in 2007. If Briere had a more appropriate contract for his production, then it would make sense to keep him, due to his playoff dominance. Before the puck drops on the 2013-14 NHL season, Danny Briere may very well be "fist pumped" out of Philly.
Enjoy some of Briere's plays in this video:
Video credit - Kyle Samson
Sources :
May 10th, 2013
Orange and Black and Blue
Funny how the team Sharp helped defeat was the Philadelphia Flyers, huh? Things in hockey, as well as life in general, seem to come back around.
Before I begin my discussion, I would just like to acknowledge the fact that I am on the outside looking in. I have no idea what goes on inside the Flyers organization and the many factors that go into trading players. It is just intriguing to why so many players get traded from the Flyers and then start produce a lot more and seem to be happier in the process. In this post, I will be dissecting only the players that the Flyers TRADED away.
Patrick Sharp
December 28th, 2005 – Flyers trade 24 year old Patrick Sharp and Eric Meloche to the Chicago Blackhawks for Matt Ellison and a 2006 third round pick.
Patrick Sharp was drafted by Philly in the 2002 draft. Since his Flyers career was ephemeral, I've decided to skip the statistics portion of his analysis. Yet, he has turned out to be a solid forward. He won the 2010 Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks, against... the Philadelphia Flyers.
Patrick Sharp celebrates with the Cup. Photo - http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/hockey/blackhawks/chi-chicago-blackhawks-flyers-playoff-photos,0,2100813.photogallery
Kris Versteeg
June 1st 2011 – Flyers send 25 year old Kris Versteeg (after only 27 games with the Flyers. Traded at the deadline from . 5 years of NHL experience at this point in time.) to the Florida Panthers for two draft pick
Flyers career 2011
Regular Season (Versteeg was acquired at the trade-deadline)
2010-11 – Philadelphia Flyers – 27 games played – 7 goals – 4 assists – 11 points – Plus/Minus - 4
Post Season :
2010 – 11 – Philadelphia Flyers – 11 games played – 1 goal – 5 assists – 6 points – Plus/Minus - 1
First year after being traded by Philly -
Regular Season :
2011-12 – Florida Panthers – 71 games played – 23 goals – 31 assists – 54 points – Plus/Minus 4
Post Season :
2011-12 – Florida Panthers – 7 games played – 3 goals – 2 assists – 5 points – Plus/Minus – 2
Versteeg has been a nice addition to the Panthers and he helped lead them get back into the playoffs for the first time in twelve seasons. They got bounced by eventual Eastern Conference Champion New Jersey Devils in seven games of the Quarterfinals. His Flyers career was short and he did not have the best offensive numbers. He has a quick release and provides speed on the wing and should continue to produce solid points in the coming years.
Evidence
Versteeg with a cannon of a shot against Marty Brodeur last year in the playoffs:Video credit - Fred Murtz
James van Riemsdyk
June 23rd 2012 – Flyers trade 23 year old James van Riemsdyk (three seasons with the Flyers/NHL) to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Luke Schenn.
Flyers career 2009 - 2012
Regular Season
196 games played – 47 goals – 52 assists – 99 points – Plus/Minus of 13
Averaged per year – 65.3 games played – 15.7 goals – 17.3 assists – 33 points
Playoffs
39 games played – 11 goals – 4 assists – 15 points – Plus/Minus of -9
First year traded from Philly (With Toronto)
Regular Season
2012-13 – 48 games played - 18 goals – 14 assists – 32 points – Plus/Minus of -7
Post Season (As of today)
2012-13 – 4 games played – 2 goals – 1 assists – 3 points – Plus/Minus of - 3
JVR was drafted second overall by the Flyers in the 2007 entry draft. That draft is a whole story on its own (which I will cover in the coming future). Essentially, the Flyers got screwed by the lottery system and Chicago jumped from the 5th pick to the 1st and selected Patrick Kane. Another irony is that Kane goes on to score the game winner of the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals and defeats the, wait for it... Philadelphia Flyers. And as fate would just so have it, JVR was on the ice as the puck slide past Michael Leighton. But, I digress...
JVR is developing into one of the leagues best power forwards. He dominates in front of the net and battles hard. Just check out his play against Boston's Zdeno Chara in these playoffs! The Flyers should have kept him a few more years to see how he evolved. Now, look at him. This season he was tied for 10th in the NHL in goals. Look out, JVR will become a beast for the Leafs.
Evidence
Not the best video but watch JVR BATTLE in front of the net against Chara:Video credit TorontoMapleLeafs951
JVR danzels against Boston in game 2 of the 2013 NHL playoffs:
Video credit MisterSinghh·
Sergei Bobrovsky
June 22nd 2012 – Flyers trade 23 year old Sergei Bobrovsky (2 years with Flyers/NHL) to the Columbus Blue Jackets for drafts picks that turned out to be GOALIE Anthony Stolarz and Taylor Leier.
Flyers Career 2009 - 2012
Regular Season
83 games played – 77 starts – 42 wins – 23 losses – 10 Overtime losses – 208 goals against - 2.80 GAA - .907 save percentage
Average per year – 41.5 games played – 38.5 starts – 21 wins – 11.5 losses – 5 Ovetime losses – 104 goals against – 2.80 GAA - .907 save percentage
Playoffs
7 games played – 3 starts – 0 wins – 2 losses – 0 Overtime losses – 4.04 GAA - .848 save percentage
First year traded from Philly (With Columbus)
2012-13 – 38 games played – 37 starts – 21 wins – 11 losses – 6 Overtime losses – 2.00 GAA - .932 save percentage
SERGEI BOBROVSKY! Bob was undrafted by signed by the Flyers in 2006. What a year this young man had! Without his stellar stats, the Columbus Blue Jackets would not have been a point out of the playoffs. Just look at his statistics for this season! Incredible. One year removed from being Ilya Bryzgalov's backup, Bob is now a finalist for the Vezina as the top goaltender of the year. I believe he will win it, and rightfully so with his unreal stats.
Side note – Bob was traded for a few drafts picks. With the draft picks the Flyers drafted a GOALIE.
Also, at the trade deadline the Flyers traded Michael Leighton to Columbus for their backup GOALIE, Steve Mason. Mason has looked well in orange and black, but only time will tell.
What?! They should have never traded Bob in the first place!
Jeff Carter
June 23rd 2011 – Flyers send 26 year old Jeff Carter (6 years with Flyers/NHL) to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Jakub Voracek, and two draft picks that turn out to be Sean Couturier, and Nick Cousins.
Flyers Career 2005 - 2011
Regular Season
461 games played – 181 goals – 162 assists – 343 points – Plus/Minus of 51
Averaged per year – 76.8 games played – 30.1 goals – 27 assists – 57.1 points
Playoffs
47 games played – 13 goals – 8 asssists – 21 points – Plus/Minus of -14
First year traded from Philly (With Columbus / Los Angeles)
Regular Season
2011-12 – Columbus - 39 games played - 15 goals – 10 assists – 25 points – Plus/Minus of -11
2011-12 – Los Angeles – 16 games played – 6 goals – 3 assists – 9 points – Plus/Minus of -1
Playoffs
2011-12 – Los Angeles – 20 games played – 8 goals – 5 assists – 13 points – Plus/Minus – EVEN
Stanley Cup Champion
Mike Richards
June 23rd 2011 – Flyers trade 26 year old captain Mike Richards (6 years with Flyers / NHL) and Rob Bordson to Los Angeles for Wayne Simmonds, Brayden Schenn and a 2012 second round pick.
Flyers Career 2005 - 2011
Regular Season
453 games played – 133 goals – 216 assists – 349 points – Plus/Minus of 39
Averaged per year – 75.5 games played – 22.1 goals – 36 assists – 58.1 points
Playoffs
63 games played – 16 goals – 34 assists – 50 points – Plus/Minus of -11
First year traded from Philly (With Los Angeles)
Regular Season
2011-12 – Los Angeles – 74 games played – 18 goals – 26 assists – 44 points – Plus/Minus of 3
Playoffs
2011-12 – Los Angeles – 20 games played – 4 goals – 11 assists – 15 points – Plus/Minus – 1
Stanley Cup Champion
I decided to write about Carter and Richards together because well, that's how they spent the majority of their NHL careers. Both were drafted by Philadelphia in the 2005 draft. Both were traded on June 23rd2011. Both hoisted the Stanley Cup last season, one year removed from the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter is one of the league's goal scorer and Richards is a top two way forward. They both got the last laugh of the whole Flyers debacle, as being crowned the “Kings” of the NHL last season.
Best buds, Carter and Richards reach the pinnacle together. They were the "Kings" of the 2012 NHL season. Photo - http://www.phantomshockey.com/pages/news/articles/20120612.asp
Sorry Flyers fans, I had to do it to you with that picture of Richie and Carts.
My Take
Is it me or is all this concerning for a Flyers fan?
Three of the six players (Sharp, Carter, Richards) have won Stanley Cups
All were 26 or younger when traded by the Flyers.
*The only player on this list not drafted and traded by the Flyers is Kris Versteeg.
*Bobrovsky was undrafted but Philly was the first team to sign him.
All have become better players since leaving the Flyers organization.
What does that all mean? Are the Flyers “bad” at growing their own players? Does the “win now” philosophy need to go?
I believe the Flyers need to hold on to their younger prospects. As of now, they have a solid young squad and if they do not trade them, they will be great in the few years. Sean Couturier, Brayden Schenn, Wayne Simmonds, Jakub Voracek, and captain Claude Giroux are all 25 years old or younger. That is a very promising group of hockey players. Let's hope that they all remain in Orange and Black for the years to come.
But just imagine a team with Patrick Sharp, Kris Versteeg, James van Reimsdyk, Sergei Bobrovsky Jeff Carter, Mike Richards. Now add in Claude Giroux, Scott Hartnell, and Matt Read.
That could have been your 2012-13 Philadelphia Flyers.
Trade information courtesy of http://www.flyershistory.com/cgi-bin/trade.cgi
Stats courtesy of - http://espn.go.com/nhl/statistics
Typed in player name in search bar to find specific statistics.
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