The last major piece of the Flyers' roster for next season came into place in the opening hours of free agency yesterday when the club signed 29-year-old Daniel Briere to an eight-year, $52 million contract.

Finally, the Flyers have a No. 1 center again for the first time since trading away Peter Forsberg in February.

"The opening up of the game is better for smaller, quicker players," said Paul Holmgren, the Flyers general manager. "And Danny is one of the quickest players in the game. He's one of the most exciting players in the game. He has creativity; he can score; he has a real knack for toughness in the offensive zone."