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The Daniel Briere signing is one of the most polarizing acquisitions the Habs

have made in quite some time. Some are upset that the former Flyer spurned

the team six years ago when he was last on the UFA market, others don’t like the

fact that he is another smaller player when the team is looking to get bigger,

and then there are those who are pleased with the deal. Which of these

categories do our writers fall into?

Matt Gauthier: I think there are mixed feelings about him because the

fans would have loved him a few years earlier. However, he’s still probably the

most talented offensive player the team has had since Pierre Turgeon. He’s

very smart and the kind of player that will fit well in Montreal’s offensive

structure.

Brian La Rose: Although I’m not Briere’s biggest fan, I prefer the

Habs going this route over paying a younger 40-50 point player upwards of $5

million for four or five years which is what players of that ilk seem to be

getting on the UFA market. No, he isn’t a top line star any more but they

don’t need him to be. Ideally, they want him to replace the production

that Michael Ryder brought to the team. Even though he has struggled the

last couple of seasons, Briere – if healthy – should be able to get 40-50 points

which is what around what Ryder has averaged over the past several seasons.

(Coincidentally, Ryder wound up signing for less than Briere; New Jersey got one

of the better contracts on the opening day of free agency in my opinion.)

I’m not as concerned about Briere’s smaller stature as some are as it’s not

as if Ryder was a punishing power forward or anything of the sort – he, like

Briere, is a softer, more perimeter oriented player so the team isn’t really

losing much in that regard. Briere’s health is always an issue though,

having suffered concussions in each of the past two years and seems to have some

sort of ailment slow him down on an almost annual basis. Fortunately, the

depth that this team has can help insulate against the minor maladies that

plague Briere – if (when) he can’t go, that will open up a spot for one of the

teams’ younger offensive forwards to take on a higher workload, something that a

lot of people would probably like to see anyways. When he is healthy, his

ice time still will be somewhat capped because of the Habs’ ability to roll

three quality offensive lines.

The Habs essentially replaced one top six forward with certain strengths and

weaknesses with another top six forward with somewhat similar strengths and

weaknesses. Should this then be an acquisition to get all excited about?

No. Should it be one to get all that upset about? No. It’s a

pretty lateral move at the end of the day and I feel there shouldn’t be much

more thought given to it than that.

Norm Szcyrek: While Briere does add some depth to the Habs, he is very much a one way player

with good offensive skills. However, his scoring has dropped significantly

the last two seasons. A lot of his contribution will depend on his health,

since he’s had two concussions in the last two seasons. He had an okay start

last season with 12 points in February in 15 games, after missing the first 4

games in January with a wrist injury and being shutout for the other 3 games.

Something happened in March, where he registered 1 point in 8 games, then was

concussed. After missing 10 games he came back and managed 3 points in 7

games. At this point in his career he is a winger, not a center; his faceoff

percentage was around 45% for the Flyers last season, so hopefully the Habs do

not start him in the middle.

A lot has been mentioned about his clutch

scoring in the playoffs, as he’s produced at just over a point a game.

Unfortunately he’s also been a non-plus player in 2 of the 9 seasons he’s

been in the playoffs, indicating that while he can score, he can also be on

the ice when his team is scored against more often. Basically, Briere is a

smaller replacement for Michael Ryder, able to help on the power play.

Whoever his linemates will be, they may be relied on heavily for defensive

responsibilities. It will be interesting to see how Michel Therrien can use

him in the Habs systems, and if he will be able to adapt to them or if he’ll

end up a frequent minus player and frustrate Habs fans, teammates and coaches.

Moshé Weizman:

Putting aside the professional/performance aspect of the Danny Briere signing,

I love it mainly because of the image this signing gives the the Canadiens.

The mix of local Quebec pride and a naturally enthusiastic persona have been

missing from the Canadiens’ organization of late (Maxim Lapierre and Mathieu Darche

were the last ones to come close) and the fact that you get that and a high

calibre player in Briere is an accomplishment.

Can someone remember a Quebec native, French speaking core player in a Canadiens’

uniform in recent years? I think you have to go back to the Pierre Turgeon and

Vincent Damphousse days for that, even if the latter was at his prime with the

Habs which isn’t the case with Briere, but still…

This is a move that reflects the change Marc Bergevin is bringing to Montreal

– more ‘local’ faces, more emotional engagement with the fans, more players,

other than Galchenyuk and Subban, that actually jump around and lift up

the fans after a goal.

The flip side to this is naturally Briere’s physical condition. Injuries and

age brought him to just over 15 minutes of ice time per game last season making him

potentially a limited role player. That is, unless he surprises everybody and

is back to being fit and be a truly amazing comeback story. The two year

contract is also a good fit for both sides to test the waters without over

commitment to one another.

Around the Boards

Naturally, the addition of Briere elicited a variety of reactions among our

posters on the HW Forums. Here is a sampling of their reaction:

Habsfan84: "I think the Habs should have got him cheaper. Maybe

the market set the price but at that price Habs shouldn’t have been in the

market. There has to be a trade coming. Don’t see where Desharnais fits on this

team anymore."

Habsy: "Bergevin, Dudley, Carriere, Mellanby, Lapointe. All in

the office, and this is what they come up with? We’re easier to play than last

season."

Machine of Loving Grace: "Not a fan. That said he isn’t a

bad player. There isn’t a better playoff performer on the market. I don’t know

how Gionta is health wise and if he’ll start the season with us. I would have

preferred to stay put. I don’t see this as Bergevin’s final move of the summer

so I’m waiting to see what happens next."

lazy26: "I think Briere could be a decent asset if surrounded

by the proper players."

Neech: "We miss out on a big old declining French centre and

get the small old declining French centre. When you compare the cap hit,

it looks really bad. But at least it’s only two years… still expect to see a

lot of Briere jerseys by the time October rolls around."

Habinator33: "Not a huge fan of this move individually but have

to see the whole picture first before fully judging it. Honestly was hoping for

some 3rd/4th liners possibly a defensemen and putting faith in Eller, Gallagher,

and Galchenyuk to make up for the lost offence of Ryder."

HabsTrick450: "The price isn’t that high and if Briere can stay

healthy and consistent he will be a big help."

The Chicoutimi Cucumber: "We dumped Cole to avoid being on the

hook for $4.5 mil for the next two years. Now we’re on the hook for $4 mil for

the next two years. So much for the brilliant cap move of dumping Cole. Indeed,

unless Briere significantly outperforms Cole over that span, we got smaller for

no reason."

Suffice it to say, this acquisition has garnered the most attention that any

single move has for Marc Bergevin during his tenure as GM. The amount and

variety of reactions remind me of the Mike Cammalleri mid-game trade. The

reaction was swift and mostly negative, similar to this move. As it turns

out, the trade has panned out better than most thought so far. Will

Briere’s acquisition follow a similar path? In two years or less, we’ll

have our answer.