The Flyers largely stood pat at the recent trade deadline<\/a>, making one significant move by shipping Bobby Brink<\/a> to Minnesota for David Ji\u0159\u00ed\u010dek. As the team hits the homestretch, we caught up with general manager Danny Bri\u00e8re<\/a> to talk about the team\u2019s approach to the deadline, how he\u2019d evaluate Matvei Michkov<\/a> and Rick Tocchet<\/a>\u2019s performances this season, the team\u2019s ongoing search for a center, and more. This is Part 1 of a two-part interview that was conducted Saturday.<\/p>\n Bri\u00e8re reiterated that the value wasn\u2019t high enough to trade Rasmus Ristolainen and that his injury history was something that \u201cteams were worried about.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n The GM called Matvei Michkov\u2019s play since the Olympic break \u201creally exciting\u201d and said that everyone in the organization remains committed to helping him succeed.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Regarding the team\u2019s search for a No. 1 center<\/a>, Bri\u00e8re said the team is \u201calways looking\u201d but also believes the Flyers might be able to get away with having No. 2 centers due to the potential presence of \u201celite wingers.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n \u00bb READ MORE: GM Danny Bri\u00e8re on not trading Rasmus Ristolainen, adding David Ji\u0159\u00ed\u010dek, and the Flyers\u2019 center void<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n The Flyers largely stood pat at the recent trade deadline, making one significant move by shipping Bobby Brink to Minnesota<\/a> for David Ji\u0159\u00ed\u010dek. As the team hits the homestretch, we caught up with general manager Danny Bri\u00e8re to talk about the team\u2019s approach to the deadline, how he\u2019d evaluate Matvei Michkov and Rick Tocchet\u2019s performances this season, the team\u2019s ongoing search for a center, and more. This is Part 1 of a two-part interview that was conducted Saturday.<\/p>\n A: <\/b>We\u2019re happy with what we did. I\u2019m on the inside, I know everything that went on. I know what the offers were. There\u2019s a reason why it was a little mellow. I knew going in that we probably weren\u2019t going to make a lot of noise. I\u2019m OK with that. There are a lot of reasons for that as well. It starts with what we were talking about as far as the trade, the value. My job is to bring the most value to the organization. I\u2019m not going to try to make trades just to please people. I have to make trades that make sense for the team and where we\u2019re at at the moment. <\/p>\n \u00bb READ MORE: GM Danny Bri\u00e8re on not trading Rasmus Ristolainen, adding David Ji\u0159\u00ed\u010dek, and the Flyers\u2019 center void<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n A:<\/b> Absolutely. Yes, we do. And I think a big part of it, too, is his confidence. David is still a young player who\u2019s trying to figure out his game. You give him some confidence \u2014 I\u2019ve seen him play before \u2014 when he plays with that confidence, he\u2019s a totally different player. \u2026 I lived it myself. It doesn\u2019t always happen right away. There are only so many Macklin Celebrinis, and Connor McDavids, and Sidney Crosbys who figure it out at 18 years old, and they dominate right away. Most players go through some ups and downs. We\u2019ve seen it with Trevor Zegras<\/a>, we\u2019ve seen it with Jamie Drysdale<\/a>. There\u2019s no guarantee, but we do believe that what we\u2019ve seen in the past, that David has something special<\/a> that can help us in the future.<\/p>\n A:<\/b> So having Risto around is going to help in that regard, and we\u2019ll see where it goes. He\u2019s a top-four defenseman, and honestly, there\u2019s probably not going to be, and I don\u2019t know that for sure, but there\u2019s probably not going to be a big difference in the value [we got offered for him] next year than what we got this year. People have to realize that other teams are also aware that Risto was hurt for most of the year. He was hurt for the last part of last year. He was hurt and didn\u2019t come back until December, and then got dinged up a lot. People do their research, other teams do their research, too, and it\u2019s obviously something that teams were worried about.<\/p>\n A:<\/b> You might be able to get away with No. 2 centers<\/a>, because down the road, you might have some elite wingers. It might be, how, at the end of the day, we\u2019re built, and it gives you the freedom to maybe spend somewhere else. So it\u2019s possible, but at the same time, we need our wingers to keep developing. But it\u2019s obviously a nice luxury when you look at all the wingers that we have still in their early to mid-20s. I don\u2019t think there are too many teams around the NHL that have a collection of wingers in their early 20s like we have.<\/p>\n A: <\/b>We\u2019ve been happy with him. I\u2019ve been happy with how he\u2019s handling the young guys. The improvement that we\u2019ve seen in Matvei Michkov alone. Like, people were really down on how the organization and the coaching staff handled Matvei. But if you watched him play the last little bit, it\u2019s been really exciting to see more of his complete game come to the surface. That\u2019s what I\u2019m excited about. It wasn\u2019t easy to get that in him, for him to understand, but I\u2019ve been really happy with how he\u2019s played lately, especially since we came back from the Olympic break. Down the road, we look at our young guys, how they\u2019ve improved and are going in the right direction, playing the right way. I\u2019ve been happy with, and not just Rick, I would say, the whole coaching staff.<\/p>\n \u00bb READ MORE: Grading Danny Bri\u00e8re\u2019s trade deadline moves and decision to hold onto Rasmus Ristolainen<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n A: <\/b>Yeah, it\u2019s a fine line. And not just with him, with everyone, right? It\u2019s always a question that comes back. That\u2019s always what we\u2019re trying to manage, especially with our younger guys. We always discuss that \u2026 Denver Bartkey is the same way. Like, where does he get the most? If he\u2019s playing eight minutes a night here, is it worth keeping him here, but if he\u2019s getting 13, 14 minutes? So we\u2019re all always discussing those situations about all our young players. Where do you get the most development for the future?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The Flyers largely stood pat at the recent trade deadline, making one significant move by shipping Bobby Brink to Minnesota <\/a>for David Ji\u0159\u00ed\u010dek. As the team hits the homestretch, we caught up with general manager Danny Bri\u00e8re to talk about the team\u2019s approach to the deadline, how he\u2019d evaluate Matvei Michkov and Rick Tocchet\u2019s performances this season, the team\u2019s ongoing search for a center, and more. This is Part 1 of a two-part interview that was conducted Saturday.<\/p>\n A:<\/b> We\u2019re happy with what we did. I\u2019m on the inside, I know everything that went on. I know what the offers were. There\u2019s a reason why it was a little mellow. I knew going in that we probably weren\u2019t going to make a lot of noise. I\u2019m OK with that. There are a lot of reasons for that as well. It starts with what we were talking about as far as the trade, the value. My job is to bring the most value to the organization. I\u2019m not going to try to make trades just to please people. I have to make trades that make sense for the team and where we\u2019re at at the moment. <\/p>\n \u00bb READ MORE: GM Danny Bri\u00e8re on not trading Rasmus Ristolainen, adding David Ji\u0159\u00ed\u010dek, and the Flyers\u2019 center void<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n A: <\/b>Let\u2019s be honest. You lose a top-nine forward who was helping for a defenseman who\u2019s not here helping today. So in that regard, we didn\u2019t help the team take a step to make the playoffs this year, and I\u2019m aware of that. We make the trade to try to solidify our future. And when I looked at the standings, the six points are one thing, but having to also leapfrog so many teams makes it really tough. I hope that we\u2019re never in that position again. It\u2019s another year of that, and I realize that, but I also feel that we\u2019re getting closer, and we\u2019re moving in the right direction. And adding a guy like David Ji\u0159\u00ed\u010dek helps us for the future.<\/p>\n A: <\/b>Absolutely. Yes, we do. And I think a big part of it, too, is his confidence. David is still a young player who\u2019s trying to figure out his game. You give him some confidence \u2014 I\u2019ve seen him play before \u2014 when he plays with that confidence, he\u2019s a totally different player. \u2026 I lived it myself. It doesn\u2019t always happen right away. There are only so many Macklin Celebrinis, and Connor McDavids, and Sidney Crosbys who figure it out at 18 years old, and they dominate right away. Most players go through some ups and downs. We\u2019ve seen it with Trevor Zegras, we\u2019ve seen it with Jamie Drysdale. There\u2019s no guarantee, but we do believe that what we\u2019ve seen in the past, that David has something special that can help us in the future.<\/p>\n A:<\/b> I think you bring honesty with him. I had a good, honest conversation with him when we talked yesterday, although it was relatively brief. I had a great, honest conversation with his agent later last night. Riley Armstrong and his staff are going to get into that. John Snowden as well, and eventually, hopefully, here as well. We\u2019d love to see him play some games. I made no promises, but it would be great to see him in some games. But we also want to put him in a good position first, before that. So, we don\u2019t see it as an issue. That\u2019s all part of working with the player and making sure that he knows that we want the best for him. <\/p>\n A:<\/b> We\u2019re always looking. We didn\u2019t feel there was enough value to move him for what he brings and what he\u2019s going to bring next year as well. And then when you look at like the young guys that we have, Ji\u0159\u00ed\u010dek, [Oliver] Bonk, who\u2019s getting closer, Hunter McDonald is another guy who improved this year \u2014 you have to be careful when to bring them in, what kind of position you put them in to succeed. I think in a sense, you saw it with Drysdale; expectations were raised too high in his case. I don\u2019t know if it was the case with David in his previous stop. Our goal as an organization is to put those kids in the best position to have a chance to succeed and not overload them with unrealistic goals. <\/p>\n So having Risto around is going to help in that regard, and we\u2019ll see where it goes. He\u2019s a top-four defenseman, and honestly, there\u2019s probably not going to be, and I don\u2019t know that for sure, but there\u2019s probably not going to be a big difference in the value [we got offered for him] next year than what we got this year. People have to realize that other teams are also aware that Risto was hurt for most of the year. He was hurt for the last part of last year. He was hurt and didn\u2019t come back until December, and then got dinged up a lot. People do their research, other teams do their research, too, and it\u2019s obviously something that teams were worried about.<\/p>\n \u00bb READ MORE: Grading Danny Bri\u00e8re\u2019s trade deadline moves and decision to hold onto Rasmus Ristolainen<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n A: <\/b>One of the nice, I guess, luxuries that we have is when you have a guy like Travis Sanheim<\/a>, who can play both left or right, that gives you so many more options and freedom to look at the right or the left, since he can move. We\u2019re very fortunate there, to have our top defenseman have the ability to play both sides. So it\u2019s not necessarily just right or left, so that opens the door to that. But, look, I don\u2019t think it\u2019s a secret that we\u2019d like to add in the center position, but we\u2019ve said it for years, the asking price for those guys is huge. We\u2019re always looking, we just haven\u2019t found the right fit for the right price.<\/p>\n A: <\/b>You might be able to get away with No. 2 centers, because down the road, you might have some elite wingers. It might be, how, at the end of the day, we\u2019re built, and it gives you the freedom to maybe spend somewhere else. So it\u2019s possible, but at the same time, we need our wingers to keep developing. But it\u2019s obviously a nice luxury when you look at all the wingers that we have still in their early to mid-20s. I don\u2019t think there are too many teams around the NHL that have a collection of wingers in their early 20s like we have.<\/p>\n A:<\/b> We\u2019ve been happy with him. I\u2019ve been happy with how he\u2019s handling the young guys. The improvement that we\u2019ve seen in Matvei Michkov alone. Like, people were really down on how the organization and the coaching staff handled Matvei. But if you watched him play the last little bit, it\u2019s been really exciting to see more of his complete game come to the surface. That\u2019s what I\u2019m excited about. It wasn\u2019t easy to get that in him, for him to understand, but I\u2019ve been really happy with how lately he\u2019s played, especially since we came back from the Olympic break. Down the road, we look at our young guys, how they\u2019ve improved and are going in the right direction, playing the right way. I\u2019ve been happy with, and not just Rick, I would say, the whole coaching staff.<\/p>\n A:<\/b> That\u2019s part of it, but I think the coach liked him better on the left. And I don\u2019t think it was anything in Matvei\u2019s response that he was trying to send a message. I think you were just listening to a 21-year-old being honest because he has a history of playing on the right side. That\u2019s all he said. I didn\u2019t really take it as much more than that. <\/p>\n The way he\u2019s playing now, it\u2019s really refreshing, and he should be happy with how he responded, especially going through \u2014 because he got caught in that storm too, not just me and Rick and the organization, but Matvei too. I\u2019m sure it was challenging for him to go through all that. But, again, you think about all the things that \u2026 this person \u2026 has gone through already in his life. It\u2019s pretty amazing how strong he is. We all want him to succeed.<\/p>\n\n
Q: How would you assess your trade deadline?<\/h5>\n<\/p>\n
Q: There are a lot of questions about David Ji\u0159\u00ed\u010dek\u2019s skating. Do you feel like that\u2019s something the organization does well and can help him with, like it did with Bobby Brink and Tyson Foerster?<\/h5>\n<\/p>\n
Q: Rasmus Ristolainen did not get moved at the trade deadline. How do you foresee your future on defense with him still here? Are you planning on making other adjustments?<\/h5>\n<\/p>\n
Q: Because you have high-end wingers like Porter Martone, Matvei Michkov, Travis Konecny, and Zegras, does that ease the need for elite centers?<\/h5>\n<\/p>\n
Q: How would you assess Rick Tocchet\u2019s first year as coach?<\/h5>\n<\/p>\n
Q: There have been questions about Michkov\u2019s ice time, his position, and his conditioning. How do you balance teaching him the hard lessons without stunting his development?<\/h5>\n<\/p>\n
Q: How would you assess your trade deadline?<\/h5>\n<\/p>\n
Q: Do you feel like the team is in a better place today than it was before the trade deadline?<\/h5>\n<\/p>\n
Q: There are a lot of questions about Ji\u0159\u00ed\u010dek\u2019s skating. Do you feel like that\u2019s an area the organization can help him with, like with Bobby Brink and Tyson Foerster?<\/h5>\n<\/p>\n
Q: You mentioned on Friday that you did not make Ji\u0159\u00ed\u010dek any promises regarding the NHL, but it\u2019s well known that he wanted out of Columbus \u2014 which led to the trade to Minnesota \u2014 because he wasn\u2019t getting NHL minutes. What was the conversation like with him? And how do you address it with someone who maybe doesn\u2019t recognize that they need the development?<\/h5>\n<\/p>\n
Q: Rasmus Ristolainen did not get moved at the trade deadline. How do you foresee your future on defense with him still here? Are you planning on making other adjustments?<\/h5>\n<\/p>\n
Q: If you had a checklist, what\u2019s the next box to check off? Center? Another left-shot defenseman in the top four? Goaltending?<\/h5>\n<\/p>\n
Q: Because you have high-end wingers like Porter Martone, Matvei Michkov, Travis Konecny, and Zegras, does that ease the need for elite centers?<\/h5>\n<\/p>\n
Q: How would you assess Rick Tocchet\u2019s first year as coach?<\/h5>\n<\/p>\n
Q: Speaking of Michkov, were you surprised by his comments that he said he was much happier on the right side? And was the shift to the left side because you had a glut of right wingers?<\/h5>\n<\/p>\n