The Philadelphia Flyers put an end to weeks' worth of speculation, and formally announced on Thursday that the club will buy out the remaining two years of the veteran forward's contract.
Under rules of the current Collective Bargaining Agreement, the move can't become official until at least 48 hours following the completion of the Stanley Cup Finals, which are tied at two games apiece heading into Game 5 on Saturday.
"I met with Danny last week and informed him of our decision to use a compliance buy out on his contract," Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren said in a statement. "This was a very difficult decision for us to make as Danny has been a very good player for us over the past six years. Danny came to our organization as a free agent in July of 2007 and has been a tremendous player, person and role model in all aspects and for that we thank him. We wish him continued success and best wishes in any future endeavors."
The money owed the 35-year-old Briere was not necessarily the problem. Rather, it was the cap number.
Although he was due to make only $5 million over the final two years of the eight-year, $52 million deal he signed as a free agent in 2007, Briere still would have counted $6.5 million against the cap. That's problematic as the salary cap for 2013-14 is set to be roughly $6 million lower than it was this past truncated season.
The Flyers will now have to pay Briere 75 percent of the remaining money he is owed over the next four years ($937,500 per season).
Briere totaled 124 goals and 159 assists in 364 regular-season games with the Flyers. The Quebec native earned the moniker as "Mr. Playoffs" for putting up sterling postseason numbers while in Philadelphia. He compiled 37 goals and 72 points in 68 playoff games as a Flyer and set a franchise record for points in a single postseason with 30 during (12G, 18A) Philadelphia's run to the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals.
"There's a lot of good times. The first five years here were amazing. Obviously last year, not making the playoffs was a tough year – the lockout, the short season. But before that, the previous five, there were a lot of good memories," Briere said to a packed room at Voorhees. "The one that I think stands out the most was the [2010] playoff run – making the playoffs on the last regular season game, on a shootout, and going on that run all the way to Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals. That's definitely probably the best little stretch of my time here."
For his career, Briere has registered 286 goals and 373 assists in 847 games with Phoenix, Buffalo and the Flyers.
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