Risto or resist? Briere about to walk the trade deadline tightrope for Flyers

As a player, Danny Briere was always at his best in crunch time.

It's why he carried the moniker "Mr. Playoffs." He also always seemed to score a big goal or make a great play in the most critical moments of regular season games.

And while so far it's hard to argue about the return he's gotten on trades he's made since taking over as Flyers GM nearly three years ago, there is some criticism out there in the ether - fair or not - about the trades he didn't make. 

There is a public narrative that he has been too patient at times and not aggressive enough in moving off some players on the roster or in pursuit of of other players who many deem would have helped the Flyers rebuild conclude a little faster. 

There is a belief that Briere's inexperience as a GM led to them concentrating solely on being able to be uber-agressive in a free agency year when a bunch of big-name players were going to hit the market, only to have them all re-sign with their current clubs and come off the table. This left the Flyers in the lurch, some say, without a Plan B in case their excess of salary cap space wasn't enticing enough to reel in a big fish or two. 

And maybe that's the case, but just as easily, one could say maybe not. 

The Flyers have assets that other teams are interested in - no matter what people believe - and when you've stockpiled them, you can use them to improve, just more methodically than maybe originally anticipated. 

It's kind of like that Canadian guy 20 years ago who over the course of a year made 14 trades, starting with a paper clip and ending up with a house. 

It may not be the most direct path, but in time, it can turn out to be just as fruitful. 

With the trade deadline rapidly approaching, Briere finds himself in a tricky spot. The Flyers have rebounded out of the break and are treading water in a playoff chase that still seems to be a long shot. 

They are six points behind Boston for the final wild card spot. They are eight points behind the Penguins and Islanders in the division (with a game in-hand on New York). 

Of the three teams mentioned above, the one that surprisingly might be the most realistic to catch is Pittsburgh. They are playing without captain Sidney Crosby, who was hurt during the Olympics and is expected to miss the month of March, if not longer.

That's problematic because the Penguins schedule this month is absolutely brutal. Beginning with Tuesday's loss in Boston, the Pens are playing 16 games in 28 days, with 13 of them coming against teams currently in a playoff spot, and two others against teams still desperately trying to get in (the Flyers and Ottawa). Only one game - at home against Winnipeg - is against a team that won't have anything to play for but pride. 

But while things may look tough on the Penguins, and the Flyers can squint and see a path to passing them, there's the fact that three other teams - Columbus, Washington and the Senators - are also ahead of the Flyers chasing one of those last precious playoff spots. 

So, it makes sense to say, part with players and get some assets in return and take another crack at it next season. 

Which is why so many teams are interested in Rasmus Ristolainen. If you watched the Olympics, he was sensational for team Finland. If you've watched the Flyers play their four games since returning from the break, he's been their best defenseman. This culminated with a standout performance in Toronto on Monday where he played 27:14 and dictated the play when he was on the ice. 

"I thought he was outstanding," Tocchet told reporters after practice on Tuesday. "He's a big defenseman. He has a good shot. I mean, he was wheeling the puck [Monday] like Bobby Orr, to be honest with you. He had a good game. ... I love the guy, but I don't know, it's a business. Whatever happens, happens. I can't worry about that stuff, but I will say he has played really well under me."

Briere is listening to teams who are interested - and the list continues to grow. We heard about Montreal, Edmonton and Boston last week. Buffalo sent a contingent to Toronto to watch the him play against the Leafs. I was told yesterday that Detroit has checked in with Briere to express interest.

There was reportedly some Sabres brass in attendance for the Maple Leafs-Flyers game last night, and Rasmus Ristolainen's name has been rumored to be on the trade block. How would you feel about a Risto reunion in Buffalo? pic.twitter.com/7weIrIe2m4

— WGR 550 (@WGR550) March 3, 2026

But Briere isn't going to just give him away. He has set a price that he would take for Ristolainen, otherwise he's content to just hold on to him. 

That price is a first round pick plus a prospect close to being NHL-ready. Will a team pay that? It remains to be seen. If they're going to get the Ristolainen who has been on display for the better part of the past month, then yes. It would be a fair price for a defensive hammer for a long playoff run. 

But he is oft-injured, and trading two quality pieces for a guy who has struggled to stay healthy might be a bridge to far for some GM's. 

That said, Briere may not settle for less than his ask. He doesn't have to, after all.

Teams will be looking for defensemen at the #NHLTradeDeadline. @frank_seravalli discussed the availability of Rasmus Ristolainen on #NHLNow.

📺: NHL Network's coverage of the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline begins Friday at 10a ET! https://t.co/dvzGdueW7W pic.twitter.com/lEhVzKOGNe

— NHL Media (@NHLMedia) March 4, 2026

Ristolainen could continue to play well and be a reliable guy on their top pair and is under contract for another season. So, Briere can just as easily cash in on him in the summer - when 31 teams could be interested - rather than now. 

But this also may be when his value is at it's highest. So it's a matter of how desperately these contending teams want him, and teams do get desperate at the deadline. Look at what the Maple Leafs did a year ago. 

They traded two first round picks, a fourth round pick, and two NHL-caliber young players (Nikita Grebenkin and Fraser Minten) in separate trades with the Flyers and Bruins for Scott Laughton, whose name is back out there to be traded again, and Brandon Carlo, who has not been a good fit. 

Buffalo had to like what they saw on Monday, and the name they could conceivably send back to the Flyers along with a first round pick is 20-year-old Swedish center Anton Wahlberg, a second round pick of the Sabres in 2023 who is developing in Rochester and who many scouts believe has a ceiling of being a second-line center.

But will Briere pull this trigger? Fans may revolt if he doesn't, but his patience has paid off in the past. The Laughton trade is exhibit A. The thing is, the city is all but out of patience for the Flyers, and one has to wonder how long Comcast Spectacor is willing to absorb that outside pressure to let Briere continue to slow cook this meal.

It could well be a quiet deadline for the Flyers. 

Or, it could be spicy.

That's because something else could be cooking. 

While all the talk is centering around Ristolainen, it's fair to wonder if Briere might have any other tricks up his sleeve. 

It's not breaking news that the Flyers have a glut of wingers and that they need to break up the logjam. 

The current lineup has Trevor Zegras, Travis Konecny, Denver Barkey, Owen Tippett, Matvei Michkov and Bobby Brink among the Top 9 forwards. 

Tyson Foerster would be a slam dunk to be in there were he not injured and out for the season and Porter Martone is coming soon. 

Not to mention, Alex Bump is starting to really play well for the Phantoms, and has four goals in his last five games. He's pushing for an opportunity. 

There was always a belief that the two forwards that made the most sense to consider swapping out would be Brink and Tippett, but the overarching belief is that they would be offseason decisions and not deadline ones. 

Tippett is tricky because of his contract - with six more years at $6.2 million - and those kinds of contracts are rarely moved at the deadline. Teams are asking about him, but one has to imagine that's just Briere gauging interest for follow-up discussions down the road. 

But might Brink be a guy who could go?

He's an RFA after the season, so a team trading for him would have some control over his rights but also what he's going to get paid, and he's still young (24) and has flashed an ability to be even more productive than he's been in his time with the Flyers.

There has been some internal debate about Brink with some arguing that he's still a guy who could be a part of what the Flyers are building, but the counter argument is that even though he is a quality player, of all the wingers, what he's provided is the most easily replaceable. Brink is also a guy who other teams like, and Briere could be looking to cash in at a time when teams pay higher prices for acquisitions. 

Might the Flyers move Brink before Friday's 3PM deadline, call up Bump to replace him in the short term and then have spot ready for Martone once Michigan State's season concludes?

If you are looking for an under the radar sign that would indicate that's possibly in the cards, look no further than the minor trade Briere made the other day - acquiring Boris Katchouk from Minnesota. 

Katchouk, 27, is merely an AHL guy at this point, although he has played in the NHL in small parts of five different seasons for four different teams. But getting him for the Phantoms may be in anticipation of calling up Bump for a looksee and you aren't calling up Bump unless a spot in the top nine opens up.... all of these pieces tend to fit together. 

Any way you slice it, Briere has a lot on his plate over the next few days. 

He may end up doing very little - or nothing. Or he may end up making some unexpected changes. But whatever he does or doesn't do is no longer going to be graded on a learning curve, but rather with a far stricter scale. 

Because, fair or not, where the team is at the moment, smack dab in the middle of a rebuild, is the time when the critics restock a supply of red pens and assess things more fiercely.