Philadelphia Flyers
Briere’s Mid-Season Evaluation: Goalies, Prospects, and Trade Deadline Outlook

VORHEES, NJ–Philadelphia Flyers General Manager Daniel Briere spoke to the media Tuesday ahead of their game against the Detroit Red Wings and gave his mid-season evaluation of the team.
“I’d like to have a few more wins, obviously… but the way we’ve played the last 15-20 games, I’ve been very pleased, and it’s kind of shown a little bit what kind of team that we are,” said Briere on Tuesday morning.
The Flyers general manager gave updates on the goalie situation, discussed several prospects, and shared the organization’s philosophy approaching the March 7th NHL trade deadline.
The Goalie Situation
The Flyers are in an odd spot–carrying three goaltenders into late January.
“It’s not ideal having three goalies, we realize that,” Briere said on Tuesday about carrying three goaltenders. He also addressed the benefits to the health of number-one netminder Sam Ersson. “But at the same time, taking some load off in practice for him (Ersson) having three goalies,” Briere added.
Between Ersson’s battle to stay healthy and uncertainty about the depth chart in net, the Flyers were forced to keep three goalies around.
The recent play of Ersson and now backup Ivan Fedotov may have given the Flyers some certainty as they advance through the season.
“I remember last season, early in the season, we were wondering if he could even be a backup goalie…so him starting the season (struggled), you know, be careful analyzing him,” Briere continued with praise for his starting goaltender. “When he starts playing, it seems like he’s a goalie, and he starts to feel it, and he feels better and better, and he gets comfortable in there. So I’ve been pleased with him, especially lately.”
Briere also touched on Fedotov and his improvement this season. “If you take out those first three starts, he’s a capable back up goalie now, but two weeks ago, he was the number three. So, kudos to him for working his way back in,”
Briere liking what he has with the Flyers tandem in goal makes the Aleksei Kolosov situation more interesting.
Update on Aleksi Kolosov
Over the summer, the drama surrounding Aleksei Kolosov was a hot topic in Philadelphia. While it was unclear what was happening, it seemed as if the 22-year-old netminder would not report without guarantees of a roster spot in the NHL. He made a surprise return to Philadelphia in September and played in the preseason for the Flyers.
He eventually was sent to the AHL before being brought up to the NHL after Ersson’s first stint on the IR.
Regarding Kolosov’s current situation with the Flyers, his future seems unclear.
“There’s a lot of moving parts. I mean, like I said, a few days ago, he (Kolosov) was the backup goalie, you know, and we’re looking at different options. And now Fedotov is the backup, so we’re looking at different things.” Briere said regarding Kolosov.
Knowing the past, Briere was asked if Kolosov would be willing to go back to the AHL. He responded, “As far as I know, yes, I don’t have any reasons to believe that he would (not go down to the AHL). I mean, that would be his decision, but it has nothing to do with anything that’s going on,”
The decision to carry three goalies seems primarily for Sam Ersson’s health. Briere mentioned that the team would be practicing less in the future, so it’s possible a decision on Kolosov could come soon.
Flyers’ Prospect Update
Briere made a handful of interesting comments Tuesday about some of the team’s top prospects.
As far as 2024 first-round draft selection Jett Luchnko, Briere seems happy with how things are going for Luchanko in juniors. “We’re happy with his progress. He’s playing a lot. And you know, for the World Juniors, (he) played for Canada, we were disappointed in the role they gave him, but when you look at the role they gave him, he performed.”
Briere added, “We have higher expectations for him, and he’s probably the best skater in the World Junior tournament, and he barely played. So that’s out of our control, unfortunately, but in the role that they gave him, he was excellent.”
Luchanko has 25 points (10G, 15A) in 20 games with Guelph this season and was not traded at the OHL trade deadline.
Oliver Bonk’s expectations remain high. The Flyers selected him 22nd overall in the 2023 NHL Draft and are excited about his future with the organization.
“Overall, I thought he had a really good turn in what we expect from him, shutting down the opposition and playing against the top lines in a tough matchup. So we’re excited for him to turn pro next season, looking forward to him making his debut in the organization,” Briere said.
Some Phantoms Updates
When asked about Emil Andrae, Briere confirmed he is currently injured, but they hope he can return to the Phantoms this weekend.
He also touched on two other Phantoms blueliners–Helge Grans and Hunter McDonald.
“Grans has been playing really well also down there. McDonald is coming around, getting better and better. So I don’t know what the timeline is for those guys, but they’re they’re going in the right direction. They’re playing some high, high minutes, heavy minutes, you know, in a really good League.”Â
Could the Flyers Trade for a Center?
“The reality is, there’s not a lot of high-end centermen in this league. And teams have them, they want to keep them, or the price is crazy. You know, and we’re not willing to give up on our future at this point,” said Briere on Tuesday. He did acknowledge that “It’s a glaring need that we’d like to upgrade,” but also said, “It has to make sense.”
Briere said that trading for a top-end center is possible, but the team must be careful. He cited that if you don’t like the way the trade turned out, you can’t “press undo and start from scratch.” Briere was adamant that he has to be sure before making a significant splash for a center.
Some assurances by Briere that they are searching were offered; Briere said, “But believe me, we’re trying. We’re looking at everything that is out there that is available and see we’re even asking questions on some guys that aren’t aren’t available, just to check in and to make sure.”
When asked if he is looking at specifically young players or if an older (30s) player could also be an option, Briere said it just has to make sense. That means the contract length, AAV, and what the Flyers would have to give up makes sense for the team’s future.
Update on Ristolainen and Laughton Rumors
Rasmus Ristolainen has played much better this season and has earned the right to be one of the hottest names at the trade deadline. When speaking to the media, Danny Briere addressed the trade rumors.
“There’s teams that have called to inquire, but Risto has been so good, too for us, and he’s not a rental. Now, for us, there’s, there’s no rush to trade him. I mean, we finally, you know, have him healthy. We finally have him playing extremely well. To find right-shot D like that, and to play your top four, to play as physical as he does. They’re tough to find. So, you know, we have them here for us too.” Said Briere.
Ristolainen is not the only Flyer generating trade rumors. It is almost like deja vu; Scott Laughton is a name to watch during trade season. When asked about the possibility of trading Laughton, Briere answered similarly to the question about Ristolainen.
“Scott, he still has another year on his contract. He’s not a rental, he’s important to the dressing room. And I thought, really, think his play has really kicked in the last 20 games…He’s critical to our culture. But again, you know, if there’s something that makes too much sense, it’s it’s our duty to listen and and to do the right thing for for this organization, this team, moving forward.” Briere said.
Briere says he is not actively trying to trade either player, but when a team calls, he has to do the right thing and listen to the offer to see if it makes sense for the organization’s future.