2024 NHL Draft: Daniel Briere

2024 NHL Draft: Daniel Briere

what was your thought process Danny behind trading of the 12th overall selection and the J lenko um you know what happens is there there’s a lot of um information uh you know that you’re you’re Gathering uh not just me but our staff all the teams do that um you know we didn’t want to move too far back cuz jet was our guy that that we wanted um you know we had the feeling when we saw the board the way it was coming down um we we had a feeling uh that we could move back a little bit we explored different option um that was the only one that really uh was safe enough and gave us a chance to you know acquire more draft Capital um but you know we were very careful to not move too far back cuz we we really wanted jet Danny when we spoke with you last week you mentioned about you know not necessarily you’re going to reach on a center but that you guys did want to address the center position did that play a major role in this pick and also are you confident that lenko can stick in the middle long term absolutely I he’s a center the way he plays the way he works the way he um is a complete player first of all um you know very young still played on an OHL team um and what he did and how he got better and better as the season uh went on uh we feel that yes he’s a center absolutely and and we feel he’s just he’s just starting to tap his potential um so uh you know really excited about about having a chance to get him um there was other good players in that area um also that we were you know considering um you know but there wasn’t a big enough difference to go in a different direction and you know taking a center was uh was an important piece for us there there was a lot of sorry there was a lot of speculation that you guys were aggressively trying to trade up something exploring absolutely we were yeah how tough did you try was anything close to happening there’s some traction um to move up probably not what you’re thinking I know there’s some rumors um about fourth and fifth pick you I don’t think those were ever serious but there was other uh teams that we were talking about about moving up um you know it has to make sense for for both sides has to be something that that worked for both teams and as we got closer I think the board started to go sideways a little bit on what teams were thinking um after five and you know the teams were just not comfortable anymore uh moving their pick so um you know it kind of went went on and you know jet was the next guy on our on our Columbus has already made it known that they’re going to select a 36 this year that uncertainty at all influences anything or cross your mind what trading 32 next year to get that no what did you say they’re they’re going to pick that’s what they said that’s what the report is that they’re going to okay that’s what we assumed um that they were going to pick um but no I mean uh I think the chance where what we feel is um you know having the chance to move the pick till next year um in a draft and also the chance that maybe that that pick is um you know a little earlier that’s the risk on their end as well could be 32 who knows um the way they played this year but we we felt it was uh it was worth the risk to uh to move it the next year and um we can still keep talking about the geru trade for a little longer this is this is the first we talking to since the mov news came out uh where do things stand with him in terms of entry level contracts and maybe him at development camp or where think stands with M um I don’t know how much I’m allowed to say at this point uh but I I think it’s looking very good uh about the contract um as far as development Camp I I don’t think that’s a possibility just there’s a lot of logistics that have to get go in just immigration visa all that stuff so um I don’t have a timeline as far as when we expect them in Philadelphia but it’s uh it’s looking good it’s moving in the right direction what mson this morning uh maybe just your thoughts on Cam’s career with the Flyers and also maybe why yeah cam was a total Pro the whole time um you know I told him and I know it’s it’s tough probably for him to hear that but he’s always going to be a flyer he’s always going to be welcome back um you know he helped the culture um when when we started turning things around and and we own a lot for that unfortunately with the arrival of madve um and and the cap crunch that we’re in um you know it was it was a decision that unfortunately needed to be made it’s a business decision everybody loves Cam he’s he’s been a a great warrior for for our team for the last couple years we we wish it could have been different but um that was the the best option unfortunately at this point um I’m not too sure I was told that uh it was a possibility and we we got all got excited I think he did a fantastic job it was uh sto the show there for a little bit um that was really cool to be on stage to to see that and um I didn’t know he was uh Philly native I I learned about that which is is pretty cool when what about being a French canadi see yeah I I got stoked about that too um it was it was awesome uh to see her and come like that yeah I was I was impressed I I didn’t see I didn’t see that coming I don’t know um I I wasn’t expecting that but great job by my to bring her on stage do you make what do you make of this draft having the biggest to it just just just that there was that I’m not been to a draft that has this vocal like this it was cool like sitting and it was it was different the stadium um you know the TV over your head um I I I thought it was fantastic they did a great job um it was a great experience to to be a part of you mentioned about uh when he talked about the draft and he talked about you know treating that 12th overall pick you said there was other teams that backed out are you able to tell us those teams that maybe I can’t I can’t just you know bu respect for for those teams um you know but you know it’s it’s your job and and it’s their job to kind of look what what’s out there there was definitely traction for uh with a few of them at least two that I thought we were going in the right direction um and and then you know again the board kind of went sideways a little bit and guys saw we have our our players that we really want so um they weren’t willing to uh to move their pick so um we we just kept going you mentioned that you think um that lenko is just scratching the surface I’m assuming you view him as a guy with extremely high upside absolutely why do you see him as a guy that maybe has top of the lineup upside um first of all his work ethic um if you watch him play uh he’s he’s always one of the hardest worker both sides of the ice um his vision uh his hockey sense are are highend um you know there’s obviously some things that will work with him to develop and and increase but um to have a guys understand already both sides of the ice the way he does um and then you look the way he played it you know it was a a team that just barely made the playoffs I think in D um he was the motor for that team if you you watch that him play he drove the play um he was a play driver so that’s that’s really exciting for us how much did the under 18s play into the the decision I knew you were you were there had really strong performance there yeah we didn’t want him to play too too well um we’re trying to keep H keep him hidden you know our our guys were really high on him really early in the season and he just kept getting better and better and you saw his stock just kept increasing um you know so we we were not too excited about that the fact that he he kept you know climbing up CU at at first early in the season we thought uh he could have been a later pick uh for for us our second pick in the first round uh but in the second half of the Year clearly um just hearing all the other teams talk about it um I got in trouble by a few teams already giving me crap for for taking him ahead of a few of them what kind of the process now for day two or the thought what’s kind of the thought process going into day two now on day two uh well the first one was uh you know trying to figure out Columbus’s decision um but for us we still have a lot of picks um some really important picks it you know second and third round 51 and 77 will will come quick um you know I don’t know the we have a center so there’s there’s not really a reason to chase that uh you know I think we can really uh settle back and and see how the ball the the board Falls and really again take the best player available as the guy to play with Mitch moving forward is he for no I I I wouldn’t say that yet I mean it’s it’s too early who knows but we got to give those guys time I mean you know development is the key there’s a long ways to go um jet has two more years of Juniors at least so I I don’t want to get uh ahead too much there’s so many things that can happen before uh before he’s there and madve has to to play as well and develop the right way how important was the speed factor in the luchenko selection especially as the game on the ice in the NHL just continues to get faster and faster that’s a really good question that’s another asset that I I didn’t even mention um that he has he’s you know a great skater smooth skater um you know I I think he’s he’s the type of player that going to be able to log heavy minutes uh be because of his skating and and the fact if you look at his conditioning is already uh fairly impressive so I I I think it’s it sets up really well for it the big name on the board obviously is the the player that Minnesota trade up to get was Z boam that you guys decided not to go for I’m curious you you and Keith Jones have mentioned in the past about the idea of you you want size on the blue line you guys already have Cam and Jamie is the fact that Z isn’t the biggest guy did that play into maybe why he wasn’t high on your board well you know when you look at our our defense I mean you you have it right I mean I think Zev is going to be a great player and someone that we considered strongly uh but you know with Cam York with Jamie Dale with Emil Andre um you know it’s at some point gets tough to um to go with the the smaller guy but he’s he’s a fantastic player

Hear from Flyers General Manager Daniel Briere after round one of the NHL Draft.