Daniel Briere is a man without a contract. At 37, Briere is currently debating whether or not he should return and skate in 2015-16 or hang up his skates and call it a career. Briere has spent time with the Philadelphia Flyers, Montreal Canadiens and the Colorado Avalanche over the last three seasons and his career is now at a crossroads.
After struggling with the Avalanche last season and scoring just 12 points in 57 games, Briere remains unsigned and is now having a mental debate about whether he can handle the grueling regular season.
Briere discussed the situation with ESPN:
“I’ll have to start thinking about it more and more in the next couple of weeks,” he admitted.
Can Briere commit to the rigors of not just the season but of preparing for it?
“That’s kind of the big question: Can I imagine committing to it?” he said.
“If I decide to play, I have to commit to full out training. I’m working out and I’m staying in good shape as of right now. But if I decide to play, I’ve got about two months left to really take it to the next level to be ready for next season.”
If Briere decides he can handle another long, demanding season, he’ll have to do so for a significant pay cut. After making $4 million last season and having just eight goals and four assists to show for it, Briere will have to accept a reduced role where his veteran experience is his best quality.
Briere’s playoff experience (116 points in 124 games) has been praised repeatedly, but it’s unlikely a team will spend a significant amount at this stage of the year for a player who may or may not have the drive – or skill – to make it through another regular season campaign.
