The decision to sign goaltender Dan Vladar to a two-year contract last summer worked out well for both the Flyers and Vladar. Philadelphia got some more upside between the pipes while Vladar got the chance he was seeking to play a bigger role.
It’s fair to say he took full advantage of that opportunity, quickly staking claim to the starting job and running with it. Along the way, he was a key contributor in the Flyers making it to the second round of the playoffs. Extension-eligible next month, it appears he’s on his way to being rewarded for his efforts. ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reports (Twitter link) that the two sides are working on a five-year extension that, if finalized, would likely carry an AAV in the mid-$5MM range. Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic adds (Twitter link) that a sixth year could be tacked on and that there is still some work to be done before it’s finalized.
A price tag in that range would represent a well-earned significant raise on the $3.35MM he made this season and is set to make in 2026-27 as well.
The 28-year-old hadn’t played in more than 30 games in a single NHL season heading into 2025-26. He blew past that mark by a mile, seeing action in 52 appearances, 51 of those being starts. In those outings, he put up a career-best 2.42 GAA while his .906 SV% matched his personal best from his rookie year back in 2021-22. He ranked 10th league-wide in Goals Saved Above Expected, per MoneyPuck, with a mark of 13.8. Vladar was even stingier in the playoffs, posting a 2.18 GAA and a .922 SV% in 10 outings while his Goals Saved Above Expected mark was 8.5, second-best among postseason netminders.
As they did by committing the contract they did last summer with Vladar’s limited experience, the Flyers would be taking a risk by extending him after just one strong season. On the other hand, if they were to wait and Vladar plays at a similar level in 2026-27, the price tag would undoubtedly be higher than in the $5MM range so there’s risk in waiting, too. In this case, it looks like GM Daniel Briere that the risk of signing him early is worth the potential reward for doing so.
Assuming something ultimately gets finalized on or after July 1st, the Flyers will have one half of their goaltending tandem locked up through the long haul. That would allow prospects like Carson Bjarnason or Yegor Zavragin more time to develop with an eye on one of them taking over as the backup over the next few seasons. Goaltending has been a position of some turmoil in Philadelphia for a while. Suddenly, it looks like it could become a stable spot for them in the near future.
Photo courtesy of Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images.
Vlad the Impaler is sticking around, good thing too with the young crop and a solid netminder we should be back to making regular playoff appearances.
Not too much for a guy who will be a backup in 2 years.