Daniel Briere was at the forefront of the Buffalo Sabres' last foray into Stanley Cup contention two decades ago and now, while leading the Philadelphia Flyers front office, he's happy the long-suffering franchise is finally moving back in the right direction.
Briere, who's in Buffalo for the 2026 NHL Scouting Combine, joined Sabres Live on Tuesday for a discussion with Brian Duff and Marty Biron.
"Oh yeah," Briere replied when asked if he was watching the Sabres' long-awaited playoff run from afar. "I think there's a different vibe in the city walking around with the hockey fans. I was coming here with [Flyers president of hockey operations] Keith Jones this morning, we were walking around town and there was a bunch of kids walking to school and you saw a couple Sabres jerseys. I think it's great."
The two-time NHL All-Star noted he was mostly focused on Philadelphia's own postseason journey, but he's still pleased supporters around Western New York are being rewarded again.
"On the side, there's a thought for me toward the fans, the Buffalo Sabres fans," Briere said. "They stuck around. I know it's been a rough go for so many years but they're still there. That's where my mind went. I was happy for the fans of the Sabres that stuck around and went through a lot and finally got to see some playoff hockey and an exciting team."
The 48-year-old Canadian spent three-plus seasons in Buffalo but, despite that relatively short stint, he'll always be remembered fondly by the team's diehard fanbase.
Briere recorded 230 points (92 goals and 138 assists) in 225 regular-season appearances for the Sabres. He added 34 points in 34 playoff games while helping lead the organization to back-to-back trips to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2006 and 2007.
He's served as the Flyers' general manager since 2023.
Daniel Briere eager to navigate important summer for the Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers enter the 2026 NHL offseason with a projected $37.5 million in salary-cap space, which is the fifth-highest total in the league, according to PuckPedia.
It's a promising position for a franchise to reach the second round of the playoffs while still possessing ample financial flexibility to upgrade its roster before the 2026-27 campaign.
"It's totally different than what they've been the last few years and we worked really hard the last few years at putting us back into a favorable place as far as the cap goes," Briere said on Sabres Live. "We didn't expect, to be honest with you, to go on this run. The players really turned it on late in the season. Make it in the playoffs, beat Pittsburgh in the first round. It was an amazing run for us."
He wasn't ready to drop any hints about how Philly is going to use that cap space, though.
"It's pretty exciting but you want to use it properly because it can go the other way pretty quick," Briere said. "We're really aware of that. We're gonna be really careful but, at the same time, it's nice to have that cushion."
The Flyers have some RFAs they'll want to re-sign, led by forward Trevor Zegras and defenseman Jamie Drysdale, but they'll still have the ability to take a bold swing (or two) on the trade or free-agent markets if they find the right fit.
Although Briere is locked in to his responsibilities in Philadelphia, it's clear he still has an affinity for Buffalo dating back to those memorable runs in the early-2000s spearheaded by himself, Ryan Miller and Chris Drury, who's now the New York Rangers general manager. Mike Grier, another member of the post-lockout Sabres, is the GM of the San Jose Sharks.
It's pretty incredible for three high-ranking NHL executives to come from the same roster, but it's not a shock based on the leadership and hockey IQ within that beloved Buffalo group. It's a shame they weren't able to capture a championship during their time together.
They're all still hunting championships, albeit in a different fashion, and the Sabres are doing the same under veteran general manager Jarmo Kekalainen.
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