Daniel Briere breaks down in front of reporters

Daniel Pryere is having a tough time in Philadelphia. While he was lauded for selecting Matvey Myshkov seventh overall in the 2923 NHL Draft, many realized that this key stroke had more to do with luck than strategy.

Since the Ducks blundered in the trade that included Cutter Gauthier, receiving Jamie Drysdale, a fragile, overrated defenseman, as well as a second-round pick, things have gotten complicated for Brière.

However, his most notable mistake remains the 2024 Veags draft, where he had the option to select Zeev Buium at No. 12, who is considered one of the best prospects in that race.

Briere opted to trade that pick to the Wild to drop one spot and get a third-round pick in 2025.

The Wild didn't hesitate for a moment and selected Buium, while the Flyers selected Jett Luchanko, a speedy center but never quite reached Buium's level in terms of talent.

The decision sparked controversy among Flyers fans and Philadelphia journalists. Buium was seen as the best defenseman in his class, and his absence from the Flyers' lineup was seen as a lost opportunity.

Briere explained that the decision not to sign Buium had to do with the size of their current defensive line, which already consists of younger players like Cam York, Jamie Drysdale and Emil Andrae. Unfortunately, that justification wasn’t enough to calm critics.

He got Drysdale by poaching Gauthier, a powerful future star. In the end, Briere's insistence on taller defenders and his choice to favor a high-potential center like Luchanko was not convincing.

Briere's string of poor decisions shows the difficulties he faces as the Flyers' general manager. Fortunately for the Montreal Canadiens, Jeff Gorton hired Kent Hughes in place of Briere who was one of the finalists for the GM position at CH.

The Philadelphia Flyers are trying to explain the controversy during the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft, and they explained their reasons a few hours later. But no one is taking them seriously.

With the Flyers taking 12th overall, players started being picked one by one, which made fans a bit anxious.

Players who were supposed to be taken early began to slip, as they do every year, and it became possible for the Flyers to pick up a player who should have been taken much earlier. That happened with Matvey Meshkov. But this time, “Briere got the shock of his life.”

When Denver defenseman Zeev Boyum suddenly became available at No. 12, the Flyers had a chance to take him, a player some had ranked third or fourth on their list, and who seemed almost certain to be selected in the top 10, all the Flyers felt a surge of excitement at the prospect of making a major splash in the draft.

It was a disaster. The Flyers elected to trade exactly one point, in a trade with the Minnesota Wild for the 13th overall pick and a 2025 third-round pick.

The Wild rushed to the podium to select Buium, then the Flyers selected speedy center Jett Luchanko, the highest-ranked player late in the first round.

In absolute terms, it's a series of events synonymous with Briere's disastrous failure. Buium was touted as the best defenseman in this draft class and a future winner, and the Flyers decided outright not to draft him and instead chose center Luchanko.

After the dust settled, Flyers general manager Danny Briere was able to explain the team's decision to go with Luchanko instead of Boyum.

When asked if size was an issue, given that the defenseman is only 6 feet tall, Briere confirmed that it was.

“Well, when you look at our defense, you're right. I think Zeev Boyum is going to be a great player, and he's someone we're seriously considering. But with Cam Yorke, Jamie Drysdale, and Emile Andre, at some point it becomes difficult to pick a younger player. But he's a great player.” ““It's a shame,” Brier said.

That's certainly what everyone was told before Friday. The Flyers wanted a bigger blue line, since the long-term pieces Briere mentioned — York, Drysdale, Andray — are all smaller.

If they had added Buium to the mix, they would have forced themselves to have a strong but smaller group of defenders, something they did not want to do.

So, if we understand correctly, Briere is incapable of adapting. He could have picked Buium and traded one of his other defenders who would all be worse than the miracle Philadelphia ignored.

Briere was cheated out of getting Drysdale for Gauthier and there, is it because Drysdale didn't pick “stuf Buium”?

Instead, they got a center who is one of the youngest players in the draft class, has more room for improvement and plays at an incredibly high pace according to Briere.

There's a lot to like about Luchanko on the ice, and given the balance, it's a position where they desperately need help, and a preference not to draft another high-profile defenseman with a small frame finalized the decision the Flyers CEO concludes.

Briere also commented on the importance of Lucianco's position.

“There were other good players in that area that we were looking at as well,” Brier said.

“But there wasn't enough of a difference to go another way.” Taking the position was an important play for us.

The advantage goes to the center. The Flyers preferred to take a center and clearly saw that Luchanko's potential and NHL ceiling was not far from Buium, or possibly the winger they were considering with this pick. In short, Briere chose based on position, not the best player available.

What was Briere thinking? His excuses to journalists were pathetic, and the truth is that Briere collapsed in front of the media with his justifications.

The real reason is that Zeev Buium's agent is the same agent as Cutter Gauthier and Daniel Brière was afraid of getting involved again with a player who didn't want to play for the Flyers.

In the end, Briere lacks courage. It was difficult to see him in front of the cameras.