There’s a scene in the fantasy television show Game of Thrones when the character Jon Snow, just after literally reviving from the dead after being murdered by his underlings, laments his plight to his friend and future advisor Davos Seaworth.
“I did what I thought was right,” he ruminates, “and they killed me for it. I failed.”
“Good,” Davos responds, reiterating the importance of continuing to fight for a better world. “Now go fail again.”
Philadelphia Flyers general manager Daniel Briere wasn’t killed on Thursday when the Anaheim Ducks matched the Flyers’ five-year, $90 million offer sheet for Leo Carlsson. But he did objectively fail, fail in his attempt to address the glaring 1C issue that remains his rebuild’s biggest missing piece, fail in his attempt to poach the 21-year Carlsson from the Ducks.
And now, he needs to go out and try — and potentially fail — again.
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18 Comments (8 conversations)
jimmyb
Great article Charlie, and love the GoT reference. Do you think the Zegras and Drysdale camps will now be asking for more in their negotiations, and does this increase the odds of one/both going to arbitration?
MarioD
They need elite talent.
They didn’t want to draft in the positions where they can get elite talent.
Very little elite talent gets traded and the elite players who have moved the Flyers couldn’t field an offer for.
Elite talent almost never goes to free agency so for the last two seasons the Flyers geared up to go “Big Game Hunting” in the summer and found only tumbleweeds waiting for them.
Now they’ve gone to well of last resort, Offer Sheets, and that didn’t work.
They’ve tried every option and failed.
This regime decided they were smarter than the rest of the league and going to get elite talent their own way, not through high draft picks. There’s been an awful lot of smirking but its been over three years now with no indication there is a plan that can work.
Randy
You’re in the gotta tank for the picks and there is no other path camp, clearly. So just say that.
And you’ve decided you are smarter than this regime. Fine.
When they inevitably fail and get fired, I’m sure you’ll get an interview for one if the vacant positions. Congrats. 👌🏾
ifollowcharlieo
A terrible take. They were one offer sheet away from getting a 1C to put themselves into a contention window.
And they’re still a bonafide bubble playoff team even if they just run back last year.
Relentless negativity once again on display.
MarioD
Woohoo! Let me know when they schedule the “playoff bubble team” parade.
They have squandered away assets (most notably TK) attempting to reinvent the wheel and put the franchise further away from winning a cup than it was when they got hired. Playoff bubble team is bread and circuses.
abdbeez
It’s sports, the whole thing is literally the circuses from bread and circuses.
jcheim90
The point is they are willing to make the bold move needed. Sure, it hasn’t worked yet but it can. Next summer could have some big name UFA’s in Hughes & Makar. Big names do get traded. Just cause they haven’t won on past bidding wars doesn’t mean they can’t in the future. I agree it will be tough & isn’t as much of a sure thing as having a top pick but top picks also don’t work out sometimes (Nolan Patrick). Ultimately, we’ll see how it plays out.
MarioD
We’re already seeing how it plays out. They have publicly stated for years that this was the summer they were going to make their move. And the strategy they’ve employed to make that move has failed.
Now they’re kicking the can down the road yet another year, which is one less year of meaningful production from the older guys who they could’ve traded 3 years ago to get the assets to have a superstar this season: their target window.
They’re now enterring “can we scramble to salvage the original timeline” mode.
jcheim90
Overall, I’m not super encouraged by the way things played out. That said it was one attempt. I’m sure they have attempted many trades that haven’t worked it just isn’t public knowledge. I believe the report that there were at least 3 other offersheets presented & Briere won that battle. He was also willing to move 4 first round picks. All we can judge is what has happened to date. There is still a path & Briere might not get it done as most GMs don’t. We’ll see how it plays out.
Jose Mendez
The point is to win a cup, not indicate a willingness to make bold moves. Briere can and should ultimately be judged on the success or failure of his rebuild and that rides on his ability to fill the big holes in the line-up. He is no closer to filling those gaps than he was when he was hired and it remains to be seen if he will. As mentioned above, the team has rejected the most reliable method for acquiring the type of talent they need so their avenues for doing so were limited from the start.
jcheim90
I was talking more about the point of the article or at least how I read it. I haven’t liked every step Briere has taken but he did get Zegras & Vlader. Martone was impressive & they could have easily drafted Hagens instead. Too early to say that is a definite win but could be huge for them to have trusted best player over position need.
Kiall Jennett
What tankers such as yourselves don’t understand is the extreme luck it takes to get a top 3 pick. You also are discounting the actual probabilities of catching a top 1C in the next 18months. It will also take luck but we very well are sitting with McDavid or Mathews by this or next deadline when their teams window closes on their own cup potential. 1C’s move much more often than you believe. But go on doing you.
guadzilla
Jon Snow became king of the north?
Noooo. Spoilers, Charlie, spoilers!!!
(Says the guy waiting for the sellout to release the last effing book)
Craig Goldstein
Great piece!
Jim
Great article Charlie. I feel completely deflated after the news yesterday, I think it’s even worse today. Leo Carlsson was the perfect fit for this rebuild and now I don’t know where they go from here. Pray McDavid wants out next year and chooses to play with a young core in Philly? Take a shot on Auston Matthews? Who knows maybe things go sour by next year and a guy like a Logan Cooley, Wyatt Johnston or Michael Misa become available.
Like you said, you just have to keep trying and taking swings.
dkon21
I think people underrate how much work had to be done into the lead up of the ball being in Anaheim’s court. Getting an RFA to sign an offer sheet is similar to getting a player to waive their no trade clause, and Danny succeeded in that. Which, to me, is the more difficult piece of trading for star players. They demonstrated they know how to navigate those channels, and of course money was a strong motivator, but this gives me hope that Danny and Jonesy have a successful rep under the belt which should embolden them when trying to lure a blue chip piece that may not have considered Philly back when they drafted their no trade list.
Chris
I wonder if our next real shot is having the Leafs bottom out and we get a top 5 pick. It may be over ambitious to say they end up there by record, but them ending up in the lottery I don’t even need to squint to see. If that happens you never know…
David LaVeck
Wonderful use of Game of Thrones in this piece, it is a great analogy for where the Flyers now find themselves post Carlsson offer sheet. I urge Briere to be patient with this cap space and wait for another huge opportunity and then pounce. This almost worked despite the words from the Ducks front office given that it took them 6 days to match, an easy decision it was not. I just hope that we don’t just turn around and spend this money on an undeserving player.