It is no mystery that Danny Briere is going to be bought out by the Philadelphia Flyers this summer. Once bought out, Briere will become a free agent, the same process that Wade Redden and Scott Gomez went through earlier this year. Wade Redden was first signed by the St. Louis Blues then sent to Boston at the trade deadline and Gomez signed with the San Jose Sharks at the beginning of the season. Both were cheap pick ups, Redden probably fared slightly better than Gomez did performance wise. So the biggest question is was it worth it?
April 20, 2013; Raleigh, NC, USA; Philadelphia Flyers center Danny Briere (48) takes a shot against the Carolina Hurricanes at the PNC center. The Flyers defeated the Hurricanes 5-3. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
Is any team going to think that Danny Briere will be worth it? I would be willing to bet that their will be several teams waiting to snag up the veteran winger. Would it be worth it for Columbus to be one of those teams to jump in and make Briere an offer? Lets take a look at what he would bring to Columbus and if it would be worth it.
April 22, 2012; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Flyers center Danny Briere (48) celebrates his goal against Pittsburgh Penguins goalie
Marc-Andre Fleury(not pictured) during the second period of game six of the 2012 Eastern Conference quarterfinals at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
Everyone knows that Briere can produce, he has had some big seasons with huge numbers. The season that brought him into the big money and spotlight was with the Buffalo Sabres, 2006-07. 32 goals, 63 assists, for 95 points, unfortunately for Briere, he has not come very close to those numbers since.
His highest point totals in Philly were 68, and 72 points. This past season was quite forgettable, literally, I barely remember hearing his name in the headlines. Now he is making the front page for being bought out.
If Briere could even somewhat get back to his prime numbers he would be an asset to any team, plus he could bring veteran leadership qualities. He is also no stranger to the playoffs, one could argue he performs at an even higher level once they begin. In his playoff career Briere has been a point per game player, on average. Could bringing in his veteran leadership and playoff experience benefit the Blue Jackets?
In my opinion, I don’t think that the Blue Jackets need Briere, unless they don’t sign Vinny Prospal. What if Prospal retires, this probably won’t be the case but if there would be one guy that could replace Prospal in the line-up, it would be Briere. In that case, yes Briere would be worth the risk, his added leadership and playoff experience would come in handy for the Blue Jackets. He doesn’t exactly fit into the plans of the front office though, so it will probably be a situation that they remain distant from. We will find out shortly where Briere will be going, and it will be interesting to see who is in the running and who stays clear.
Apr. 13, 2013; Buffalo, NY, USA; NHL linesman Greg Devorski (54) drops the puck for a face-off between Buffalo Sabres center
Cody Hodgson(19) and Philadelphia Flyers center Danny Briere (48) at First Niagara Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports