“I think we saw it lately, in the last probably month, month and a half how it feels at times he’s just starting to realize how good he can be,” Briere said. “The other thing, too, when you look, is power forwards like him are tough to find. Power forwards that can score and create on their own, even tougher. So we think there’s more there, we think he’s going to keep improving, he works hard. But the combination of power, scoring ability, leadership, the way he carries himself — all of that — is what made us feel like it was something we were willing and ready to come into.”

Breaking down Owen Tippett’s contract extension

Selected by the Florida Panthers with the No. 10 pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, Tippett was traded to Philadelphia by Florida on March 19, 2022, along with a first-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft or 2025 NHL Draft and a third-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, for forward Claude Giroux. The Panthers also received forward prospects Connor Bunnaman and German Rubtsov and a fifth-round pick in the 2024 draft in the trade.

Tippett set NHL career-highs with 27 goals, 22 assists and 49 points in 77 games last season with the Flyers.

“Obviously it’s a huge honor that we came to the agreement of eight years and that that gives me confidence, just kind of knowing that they wanted me,” Tippett said. “It’s pretty special that they came with that offer. It’s hard to say no. The group we have in their is pretty special and the way the organization is going is pretty incredible.”

In five NHL seasons with the Panthers and Flyers, Tippett has 119 points (63 goals, 56 assists) in 238 regular-season games. He had four points (one goal, three assists) in six games in his only appearance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with Florida in 2021.

“I think ever since I came over, me and my family, we’re really comfortable being in the city of Philadelphia,” he said. “With the fan base we have and you can see how exciting it is what we have growing. There’s a lot of moving parts to it, but coming down to it, this is where I want to be. This is home now and it’s just super special and to be able to do it, with the with the group we have in there and with everyone surrounding us, it was pretty special.”

On Saturday, the Flyers signed Ryan Poehling to a two-year, $3.8 million contract ($1.9 million AAV).

The 25-year-old forward has 14 points (five goals, nine assists) in 45 games this season, his first with Philadelphia after he signed a one-year contract as a free agent last offseason.

Selected by the Montreal Canadiens in the first round (No. 25) of the 2017 NHL Draft, Poehling has 50 points (25 goals, 25 assists) in 183 regular-season games for the Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Canadiens.

The Flyers (25-19-6), who have lost five straight games, are off for the NHL All-Star break and their bye week and do not play again until Feb. 6.