Danny Briere and the Philadelphia Flyers are committed to building for the future.
With the trade deadline fast approaching and the Flyers in the thick of a crowded Eastern Conference wild-card race, Briere indicated that his management team would not be looking to add rental players for the stretch run, and will instead be focusing on moves that help build for the long-term success of the franchise.
“The goal is always to make the playoffs,” Philadelphia’s general manager said in an interview with NHL.com. “But at the same time, we’re trying to build a team that’s going to be a contender for years to come.
“It’s not about making the playoffs one year and then missing the next. We want to build a team that sustains it year after year, so that’s why you have to be careful and look at the entire project for the future that way.”
Philadelphia has rattled off three consecutive wins after their shootout victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday night, and are now just four points back of the Boston Bruins for the final wild-card spot in the East.
With the Flyers back in the playoff race and Briere’s emphasis on prioritizing moves for the future, the team will have to make decisions on a number of players before before Friday’s 3 p.m. ET deadline.
The most established player among that group is top-pair defenceman Rasmus Ristolainen, who is listed at No. 14 on TSN’s latest edition of the Trade Bait board.
Standing at 6-foot-4, 208-pounds, Ristolainen has one year remaining on his contract at $5.1 million, and could serve to net the Flyers a big return as one of the top blueliners rumoured to be on the market.
The Turku, Finland native missed the first 31 games of the season while recovering from tricep tendon surgery, but has recorded one goal and five assists while logging heavy minutes alongside Travis Sanheim since returning in mid-December.
Ristolainen also showcased his talents on one of the world’s biggest stages at Milano Cortina 2026, where he recorded three assists and a plus-nine rating across seven games, playing a leading role on Finland’s bronze-medal winning team.
Briere, however, isn’t ready to tip his hand regarding the fate of Ristolainen or any other player on Philadelphia’s roster.
“We’re in no rush to make a decision,” he said. “What matters for us is obviously the future, we’re still building for the future.”
The Flyers have just one game remaining on the schedule before the trade deadline, a home date against the Utah Mammoth on Thursday night.