You may forgive most fans of the Philadelphia Flyers for being a bit underwhelmed after the signing of center Christian Dvorak. After all, with so many great free agents available, signing a 29-year-old center that scored 12 goals last year (career high is 18) with 33 points (career high is 38) and giving him a one-year contract worth $5.4 million seemed crazy. This isn't John Tavares or Sam Bennett! What's the deal?
There are a few things in play here. They may not stand out, and they may not be sexy. Still, they are important. A team needs to have a good fundamental foundation to start with. Dvorak is not a point scorer. And yet, he could become a vital part of the team.
Three things make his signing a really, really good one.
#1: Fundamentals
While he isn't a big-time scorer, you'll take someone who can contribute 10-12 goals. If he is on the fourth line, he can form a solid one with players like Nicolas Deslauriers on one side and Garnet Hathaway on the other. With Dvorak standing at 6'1", that could be a very intimidating fourth line.
Secondly, he is a whiz in the faceoff circle. Last season, he won 55.8% of his faceoffs. That was good for 21st in the NHL (Claude Giroux was first with 61.5%). That's just three percentage points under Flyers' leader Sean Couturier (56.1% for 18th).
Statistically, the next best Flyers in the circle are no longer there (Morgan Frost and Ryan Poehling). Winning faceoffs can control the puck, set up a goal, help out on the penalty kill, and even jump-start the power play.
#2: Relationship with Rick Tocchet
Dvorak has played for Rick Tocchet before. He spent four years with Tocchet in Arizona as a young member of the Coyotes. It was during those seasons that he had his best statistical years. In 2019-20, he had 18 goals, six of which were scored on the power play. This season, that would tie for second with Tyson Foerster.
"He helped me out a lot in Arizona as a young guy. We had a really young team there, and he was really good with us. I know he's going to be great with the young guys here in Philly." Dvorak said in his introductory press conference
Much like Cam Atkinson and John Tortorella, Dvorak can help teach the new coach's expectations to the players. That leads to one of his biggest assets.
#3: Veteran Leadership
The Flyers have a lot of young players in the locker room. They are, on average, the third youngest team in the NHL. While some of them can learn about being a Flyer from Travis Konecny, Travis Sanheim, and Sean Couturier, it never hurts to have another senior voice. Dvorak has been to the playoffs with Montreal and Arizona. That's something that most players on the Flyers can't attest to.
Having another voice in the room to help inspire and lead by example is important. He can help teach guys like Jett Luchanko, Jack Nesbitt, and Rodrigo Abols how to improve their game. He can teach them how to grind in the corners and win the majority of faceoffs. Those fundamental skills could translate into extra goals, which could then translate into wins.
Overall, Dvorak is not the kind of player that you see as a game changer. Perhaps he isn't. However, he is a piece to the larger puzzle. One person alone can't turn this team around. The right piece here and there could.
Dvorak is signed for one season. He could be re-signed or traded at the deadline and moved for draft picks or prospects. Teams always need centers for a postseason run. This could be his only season, or he could be around for a while longer, depending on his play.
Still, this is probably a better signing than everyone may realize right now.