Many were taken aback earlier this summer when Daniel Brière offered an 8-year, $70 million contract extension to Travis Konecny (which breaks down to $8.75M/year).
When you consider that Sidney Crosby, one of the league's best players, accepted less annually, you can't help but agree with these critics.
One of those openly criticizing this decision by the Flyers' GM is hockey insider Frank Seravalli.
In a recent edition of the Daily Faceoff podcast, he expressed his bewilderment over this extension.
Ouch, that stings for Flyers fans!
We all remember the infamous moment when Marc Bergevin gave Gally a 6-year extension at $6.5M annually. Many raised their eyebrows back then, knowing full well that this deal would come back to haunt the team in the near future.
We are now in that future, and as much as we love the man, we can all agree how burdensome Gallagher's salary has become. There's no doubt the Flyers will face a similar situation sooner rather than later with Konecny.
In his 8th NHL season in 2023-2024, the 27-year-old Ontario native hit a career-high in points with 68. According to Seravalli, he's an energy player who can contribute offensively from time to time, much like Gallagher when he signed his deal in 2020.
As Marco Normandin of the site HabsolumenFan points out, the Flyers forward will earn $8M more over the course of his contract than Nick Suzuki, who not only serves as captain but also as the team's number one center, with offensive (nearly a point per game) and defensive abilities. It's absurd!
Frank Seravalli believes Daniel Brière made the same big mistake as Marc Bergevin.
It will be interesting to see if Konecny can silence his critics in the coming years or if Flyers fans, like those of the Canadiens with Gally, will be eager to see him leave.
You can listen to Seravalli's comments on the Flyers below around the 22-minute mark.
POLL | ||
21 SEPTEMBRE | 609 ANSWERS Frank Seravalli suggests Daniel Brière repeated the same mistake as Marc Bergevin with the Canadiens Would you trade Brendan Gallagher, Owen Beck, and a 1st-round pick for Travis Konecny? | ||
Yes | 116 | 19 % |
No | 493 | 81 % |
List of polls |