Bill Clement

The Flyers have a new look that's come about through some key summer moves aimed at transforming the worst team in the NHL into a playoff contender next season.

The most miserable 82 regular-season games in the franchise's 40-year history could be followed by the Flyers getting into the 16-team Stanley Cup tournament next spring.

Philly may have some tough stretches next season, but with the additions general manager Paul Holmgren has made the team should be really competitive in most games.

Banking on Briere
The Flyers top priority was to add a No. 1 center to fill the void created when they dealt Peter Forsberg to Nashville in February. They were prepared to spend money to address their greatest need and they did, signing free-agent center Daniel Briere to an eight-year, $52 million contract. Briere left the Sabres after three-plus seasons, and his arrival in Philadelphia means the Flyers get a solid point producer who scores a lot of goals and is also a good set-up man. He also shows toughness in the offensive zone.

Philly has one of the best pure shooters in the NHL in winger Simon Gagne, who can get a lot done on his own with his speed, but all pure shooters need someone to get them the puck. Proof of that is how dynamic Gagne was when Forsberg was healthy and playing with him in Philadelphia. Briere, one of the quickest players in the game, has creativity, and he along with Gagne and Mike Knuble will form a No. 1 line that will rival just about any top line in the Eastern Conference.

Back in the days when clutching and grabbing were staples of NHL play, Briere, a small, skilled center, saw his talents impacted by the nature of the game. But after the lockout things changed with new rules on obstruction put into effect, and that's helped Briere become a more productive offensive player. Despite missing almost half of the 2005-06 season with an abdominal injury, Briere has averaged 28 goals a season since the lockout ended.

He will certainly help Philadelphia, but Flyers' management — realizing how acute the need was to add a first-line center — didn't limit its sights on just Briere. Within the first hour of the free-agency period, Philly made offers to Briere as well as two other centers — Scott Gomez and Chris Drury, who for the last few seasons played with Briere in Buffalo. Both Gomez and Drury headed to the Rangers so there was certainly a sigh of relief in Philly when Briere chose the Flyers.

A gamble worth taking
Besides finding a center for their top line, the Flyers also needed an upgrade on the blue line. Defense was a major problem last season in Philadelphia. To help strengthen his blue line, Holmgren did something that was incredibly aggressive and insightful but also risky. He took the first-round draft pick he got from Nashville in the Forsberg deal and traded it back to the Predators for the right to talk to defenseman Kimmo Timonen and and forward Scott Hartnell before July 1 because they were both going to become unrestricted free agents on that date.

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Holmgren's bold and gambling move paid off after he convinced Timonen and Hartnell to pass on unrestricted free agency and join the Flyers. Each signed a long-term contract with Philadelphia — Timonen six-years, $37.8 million, and Hartnell six-years, $25.2 million. Locking up Timonen and Hartnell to long terms deals was critical to Philadelphia's future.

Timonen finished fifth in the voting for the Norris Trophy, and he's clearly among the elite defensemen in the league. He is also extremely durable having only missed 10 games over the last three seasons. A very competitive player, the 32-year-old Timonen is not tall (5-foot-10), but he's stocky, weighing over 190 pounds. He's very strong, moves the puck quite well, and he is excellent on the power play, which will be a big boost for the Flyers because they sorely needed help on that unit.

Hartnell is an aggressive player, and an excellent team guy. He's 25, and has an upside that has not yet been tapped. Next season Hartnell can be a top-six forward for the Flyers. The  Flyers are young in a lot of areas so in addition to what Briere, Timonen, and Hartnell provide on the ice they will also give the team more of a veteran presence — something that will surely help the Flyers, especially if they find themselves coming down the stretch of the schedule in a battle to secure a playoff spot.

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