Philadelphia Flyers' Future Looks Bright

July 1st was an excited day for the Philadelphia Flyers as it changed the face of their franchise overnight. General Manager Paul Holmgren has made the moves his team needs to make the playoffs next season. Holmgren has showed that he is serious about the Flyers success, and he has proven this by going out and acquiring some of the best free agents around. This past Sunday, Holmgren acquired star forward Daniel Briere and signed him to an eight-year contract. Briere will be Philadelphia's top line center and will provide leadership up the middle for the Flyers. Holmgren also went out and made a bid deal with the Edmonton Oilers. The trade included Oilers captain Jason Smith, and forward Joffrey Lupul. Lupul was traded to Edmonton by Anaheim in the Chris Pronger trade last season. The Flyers also acquired the rights to Scott Hartnell and Kimmo Timonen before free agency started from the Nashville Predators organization. We also have to factor in the players that Holmgren got a hold of in last seasons disappointing regular season. Goalie Martin Biron from the Buffalo Sabres, Braydon Coburn from the Atlanta Thrashers, and Scottie Upshall from the Nashville Predators. After the worst season in over 40 years, the Flyers are looking forward to a successful season. With these acquisitions they're headed in the right direction.

Coach John Stevens will have a long summer during training camp. Its not easy forming a bunch of players into a team, and with so many new faces, the challenge is to find a chemistry that works. Everything from the power play and short handed units to the team lineup is going to change. The Flyers expect Briere to come in and make a big offensive splash. Last season the team looked flat on offense, and they are hoping the Buffalo Sabres co-captain can keep the scoring coming. Briere had 32 goals and 63 assists last season. The Flyers will also be looking for production from their many young guns as well. Centers Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, and R. J. Umberger are among the players with the most talent. Having a player like Briere up the middle will provide these young centers a role model as well as a leader. Jason Smith and Joffrey Lupul will also provide solid production. Lupul is one of the leagues best skaters, but Edmonton was disappointed with his performance last season. Look for Lupul to thrive if he ends up on a line with the right players. Smith on the other hand does not produce many points. He is a strong defensive defensemen and shot blocker. It's interesting that Briere, Timonen, and Smith were all acquired by the Flyers and were captains of their respective teams last season. The Flyers haven't stated which leader will be the next captain of the team, but look for a more veteran Flyer to get the position. My vote is on Simon Gagne, but we`ll have to wait later on in the summer for the decision.