From the very start of the off-season, Philadelphia Flyers GM Paul Holmgren has been aggressively and effectively re-tooling a franchise in need of a do-over. In other words, the current team is the product of a plan that seems a little too smart for the Flyers, with one transaction win coming after the other. The orange and black have always been able to bring in big names, but have they ever been this good at wheeling-and-dealing?

Beginning with the trade of Peter Forsberg, the Flyers acknowledged that they needed to head in a new direction. Through trades with Nashville, they gained promising forward Scottie Upshall, defensive prospect Ryan Parent, later gaining (via the trade of Nashville's pick back to Nashville) defensive veteran Kimmo Timonen and left-winger Scott Hartnell. Four pretty good players for one former great. It would seem a little lop-sided if it had all happened at once. But Nashville did all of it, and the Flyers will take all of it.

Take free-agency into account, and Forsberg has been replaced with Daniel Briere. While Briere, undersized, and coming off a poor showing in the Eastern Conference Finals, is no healthy Forsberg, he is a well-rounded, creative playmaker whose injury problems do not linger after DL stints. We'll take that over a nightly question mark. And the Flyers will take those four players to help the team, too.

The Daniel Briere signing started about six months prior, in the trade and eventual signing of goalie Martin Biron. In an interview with Comcast Sportsnet, Briere conceded that Biron was a big reason he wanted to come to Philly. And as a sweet bonus, Biron, acquired for a second-round draft pick, has provided the consistent starter the Flyers need between the pipes.

Soon after the Flyers signed Briere, they were able to pull the trigger on another deal sitting on the table. Defenseman Joni Pitkanen and winger Geoff Sanderson were traded to the Edmonton Oilers for defenseman Jason Smith and center Joffrey Lupul. Pitkanen regressed last year, and didn't seem as if he would be able to find the focus needed to be a premiere player in Philadelphia. In return, the Flyers received Smith, a hard-hitting veteran blue-liner.

Lupul is another intriguing player who regressed last year. After a breakout year in 2005 with the Anaheim Ducks, scoring 28 goals, his production was nearly cut in half, only scoring 16 for the Oilers. Optimistically, the Flyers could see a player who has learned how to prepare himself to be successful over the course of an NHL season. Realistically, this is a player with some seasoning, and enough potential to once be the centerpiece of a trade for Stanley Cup champion Chris Pronger.

The acquisition of Timonen and Smith bolsters the defensive unit into a group that can make plays, and disrupt the flow of an offense with muscle. In Briere and Smith, the Flyers also gain a couple of former captains who know how to lead teams into the playoffs. This team might not compete for a cup next season, but the pieces are there, and we have to wonder how much more good can be done in one off-season.

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