The Buffalo News reported Daniel Briere text-messaged that he's agreed to sign with the Philadelphia Flyers.

Briere signed a whopping 8 year, $52 million contract with the Flyers, which will average $6.5million per season against the Flyers cap but will be front-loaded, paying him $10 million for next season, making him the league’s high paid player next season.

What’s more, the contract also includes a “no-movement” clause, meaning Briere cannot be traded, waived or bought out without his permission.

Looks like GM Paul Holmgren picked up the trait of signing free agents to hefty contracts from predecessor Bob Clarke. The one thing he has done right, however, is that by “front-loading” the contract he makes it easier to perhaps move Briere in the later years of this deal should his play falter.

Provided, of course, if Briere gives his blessing.

Still, both the money and the tenure are huge, proving once again that a salary cap doesn’t prevent general managers from over-paying for UFA talent.

Don’t get me wrong, Briere’s a very talented player, posting a career -high 95 points 81 games during the 2006-07 season and 15 points in 16 games during the 2007 playoffs.

The Flyers have been enamoured of Briere ever since he burned them in the 2006 playoffs and made it their intent to land him.

But the Flyers are expecting Briere, who turns 30 in October, to post those kind of numbers on a regular basis. That could be expecting too much from a player who never reached those kind of numbers before, and did so on a young, fast Sabres team that suited his playing style.

And despite his gaudy post-season numbers in 2007, Briere came under criticism in this year’s playoffs for his consistency, having been out-shone by teammate and fellow UFA Chris Drury.

It remains to be seen if Briere’s a good fit in Philadelphia. If he is, Holmgren will look like a genius, but if not, he’s saddled himself with a hefty contract and a player who has the final say on where he goes if Holmgren tries to move him later on.

The Flyers were already just over $42 million committed to 19 players for next season prior to the Briere signing, which will put them at over $48 million for 20 players. While they’re still under the cap, GM Paul Holmgren will likely still want to free up some cap room as the summer progresses.

One possibility is by trading Joni Pitkanen, another is perhaps placing Mike Rathje and his $3.5 million for next season on the long-term injury list provided he’s proven medically unfit to play by the league. 

The Montreal Canadiens had been in the bidding for Briere, even rumored to have offered a six-year, $42 million offer but the Flyers blew that out of the water. GM Bob Gainey will now have to turn his attention elsewhere and will undoubtedly feel the wrath of the Quebec media for failing to overpay for Briere.