The Philadelphia Flyers aren't done shopping, and the offseason ending hasn't changed that one bit.
Insider Darren Dreger made that clear on TSN's Insider Trading this week. GM Daniel Briere isn't finished building this roster.
"They're big game hunting," Dreger said. "They're looking for a star forward or a star defenceman."
That's not a new posture from Briere. Back in July, he put in an $18,000,000 AAV offer sheet on Leo Carlsson, a swing that reshaped how the rest of the league approached contracts even though it didn't land him the Ducks center.
Every major extension signed since then traces back to that Carlsson number in some way, and Briere clearly isn't scared off by big swings that miss.
Philadelphia finished this past season still building around a young core, and adding a genuine star piece via trade would be the next real step in that process.
The Athletic's Kevin Kurz echoed the same read this week, writing it would be disappointing if Briere didn't land star-level talent within the next 12 months.
Why Nikishin looks like a real fit for Philadelphia
Two notable unsigned RFAs are sitting out training camp right now, Columbus' Adam Fantilli and Carolina's Alexander Nikishin.
Columbus has no interest in trading Fantilli. Nikishin is a different story entirely, having reportedly asked out of Carolina this week.
Nikishin posted 33 points in 81 games last season, adding 18 points across 17 playoff games for a Hurricanes team that finished second overall.
A sign-and-trade for Nikishin wouldn't come cheap. He's reportedly seeking a new deal close to or north of $10,000,000 annually, in line with how contracts have escalated across the league lately.
That price tag alone would qualify as exactly the kind of big swing Briere has already shown he's willing to take.
Head coach Rick Tocchet now has to prepare a roster that could look completely different by the trade deadline if Briere follows through on this pattern again.
Should the Flyers pursue a costly sign-and-trade for Alexander Nikishin?
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