Briere was always main target of search for No. 1 center

Paul Holmgren sat between Ed Snider and Peter Luukko, the Flyers boss and under-boss, wearing a warmup jacket, shorts, sandals, a full day's worth of unshaved beard and beginnings of a bag or two under his eyes.

It was not a normal look for Holmgren. But it was not a normal day, either.

In one afternoon's work, Holmgren put the cap on the work of the last few months and tied up all the loose ends to the remaking of the Flyers. With the help of Luukko and the approval of Snider, Holmgren cut a $52 million, 8-year deal with free agent Daniel Briere, then sent talented but underachieving defenseman Joni Pitkanen to Edmonton along with forward Geoff Sanderson and a third-round pick in the 2009 entry draft in exchange for the Oilers' captain, defenseman Jason Smith, and hard-nosed forward Joffrey Lupul.

And then they completed the deals agreed to in mid-June that brought defenseman Kimmo Timonen and winger Scott Hartnell from Nashville to the Flyers.

The moves, all handled within 4 hours of the opening of the NHL free-agent market, completed in total the revamping of the dismal team that finished last season at the bottom of the league and give hope for a season worth watching again.

And for the first time, Holmgren looked tired.

"It was a very stressful day," Holmgren said. "We had a lot of things going on that we were trying to do. We were trying to cover ourselves in case what happened today didn't happen. I'm happy the way it turned out."

How it turned out was exactly the way the Flyers wanted.

They had the top-line center they wanted in the Sabres' co-captain, Briere, the puck-moving power-play quarterback defenseman, Timonen, and a gritty, warrior defenseman in Smith.

Three talented, competitive players, and three captains for a locker room that last season was in desperate need of leadership.

"We're excited about what we've done here in the last little while and we're looking forward to training camp with vigor," Holmgren said.

The linchpin to the deals was Briere. The 5-9, 180-pounder was one of four top centers who became available at noon yesterday and a player the Flyers have wanted since they started retooling just before the start of the league trade deadline last season.

Minutes after the bidding gates were opened, the Flyers made offers to Briere, Scott Gomez, Chris Drury and Ryan Smyth. They had Briere and Gomez at the top, with the Sabres forward first.

Gomez and Drury both signed with the Rangers - Gomez for $51.5 million for 7 years and Drury for $35.25 for 5 years - but Briere, after weighing offers from at least a dozen teams, opted to move to Philadelphia to join longtime roommate Martin Biron.

Biron was acquired as the Flyers' No. 1 goalie in the earlier series of moves that began in earnest with the trade that sent Peter Forsberg to Nashville in February.

"It's amazing," Briere said. "With the trade that just happened, it's so exciting and I'm so happy to be part of the organization. Even before they made the trade today, I was excited at the way they have moved beginning last year at the trade deadline when they just went and got some really good, young players.

"And then last week, or a couple of weeks ago, [they traded for] Timonen and Hartnell. They are just so committed to winning and that impressed me, to be honest with you.

"I wanted to be part of a winning team and a team that's going to do everything to win. But not just for the next year or 2 or 3, but for a while. I know I'm signed for a long time [8 years] and I'm excited to be part of that team that's on the upswing."

A long time is an understatement. Briere will start his Flyers career at 29 years old. He'll be 37 when it ends. It's the same for Timonen, who at 32 signed a 6-year deal.

But it is the kind of bold move that Holmgren has been making since the team imploded under the loss of talent, leadership and injury last year.

It was a place they were not familiar with and a place where they were not going to remain.

"That was the first time in our 40 years that we ended with the worst record in the league and not only was it embarrassing, it was unacceptable, and I certainly hope that the moves that we've made will fix that problem," Snider said.

With Briere they have a center who can both score and make plays. He had 32 goals and 63 assists last season and should be a good fit between a finisher like Simon Gagne and a goal scorer that makes a lot of room for himself like Mike Knuble.

"I know 3 months ago, when I was leaving for the summer, [Holmgren] told me that he was going to get a number one center and he told me that [Daniel] Briere was on the top of his list," Gagne said. "Pretty much what [Holmgren] told me he was going to do before I left is pretty much what has happened. It's pretty much all done. He said he wanted Timonen and Briere and right now they are part of the team. That's a good job by [Holmgren] and the organization.

"I'm very excited right now because of today, for sure, but also the last 2 weeks.

"We're definitily going to be back in the playoffs and if we work very hard early in the season and get the guys together we're going to be a very dangerous team in the playoffs." *