The morning after signing Trevor Zegras to a four-year deal, Philadelphia Flyers‘ GM Danny Briere met with the media for the first time since turning the hockey world upside down with a record-setting offer sheet to Leo Carlsson.

Briere was able to smile about getting Zegras’ deal done a week ahead of arbitration, but there were plenty of questions about the aggressive move that ultimately didn’t pan out.

“I mean, it was noticed around the league. But what I hope too is that it was noticed by our fans and by our players that we’re serious,” Briere said. “The players did their part last year and we’re trying to do ours and we’re going to keep trying to improve the team to give them the best chance to just be a contender for years to come.”

For now, Briere hopes Zegras will be a part of that solution. The four-year deal joins a growing list of long-term deals completed by Briere in the last year: Christian Dvorak, Dan Vladar, Tyson Foerster, and now Zegras. Jamie Drysdale figures to join him soon. His arbitration hearing is set for Monday.

“It’s a nice feeling. Obviously Trevor is a big part of our team, a big part of our future as well,” Briere said. “Since we acquired him, it’s been extremely positive. The way he carries himself. He’s lively in our locker room. He’s a big part of the locker room, but he’s also a big part of the community. They love him. So I’m glad it’s done, and it’s much nicer to get a deal done, and a long-term deal, rather than go through arbitration.”

Zegras started last season as a winger, but moved to center later in the season and had success there. Zegras figures to get more time at the center position after the Carlsson offer sheet wasn’t successful, but the pursuit of a top-line center didn’t factor in to the Flyers’ decision on Zegras’ next deal.

“The good thing is Trevor can play center, can also play wing,” Briere said. “The Leo Carlsson offer sheet and Trevor Zegras contract had nothing to do with each other. We wanted both on the team at the time we made the offer sheet.”

So after everything with Carlsson and now Zegras’ contract done, what’s next for the Flyers this offseason? There’s a few things on the agenda, but Briere isn’t closing the book on the offseason just yet.

“After that, what happens? I don’t know,” Briere said. “What I can tell you is I’d be very comfortable going into the season with this lineup and signing [Drysdale, Nikita Grebenkin, and Hunter McDonald.] If something makes sense, we’re going to look to improve. If there’s a chance out there, we’ve said it from day one, it has to make sense and that’s what we’re looking for.”

The Flyers certainly have the cap space to still do something. After Zegras’ deal, they have $20.440 million in cap space, according to PuckPedia. That had the Flyers in position to offer the $18 million AAV offer sheet to Carlsson, and could again if they take another swing down the line.

“If we have the chance, and it’s nice to have that luxury,” Briere said. “You use it in certain cases like we did with the offer sheet. It gives you the option to do that. If there’s something that makes sense that in the future can really help this team take the next step. We wanted to show our players and our fans that what the players did last year, we wanted to support them, and we’re still looking if we have the chance to improve the team.

“We worked hard to get this cap space. You remember three years ago how we were in really bad shape there. We worked hard and what we want to make sure is that we use it in a proper manner where it’s going to help the team moving forward.”

Kevin Durso is Flyers insider for 97.3 ESPN. Follow him on social media @Kevin_Durso.

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