Dan Vladar wasn't an unknown goaltender when he came to Philadelphia, but he was largely unproven beyond a backup role. He had never been a starting goaltender in the league, playing behind the likes of Jakob Markstrom and Dustin Wolf during his time in Calgary.
The Flyers, needing a better option in the net, took a chance on Vladar. He came to Philadelphia largely because he wanted to compete for a starting role. And he proved that when given the chance, he could be someone who was counted on night in and night out. He smashed career-highs in all categories. Vladar appeared in 52 games, posting a 2.42 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage.
It was rare for him to have an off night. He only allowed three or more goals in 16 of his outings. He wasn't immune to a poor night, getting pulled in six outings, but the Flyers were able to count on him more often than not. He was the biggest reason they broke their playoff drought, earning the team MVP award at the end of the season.
And Vladar played the same type of role in their first-round series against the Penguins, culminating in a 42-save shutout in Game 6 of the series. And even though the Flyers lost to Carolina in four games, he more than held his own against the Canes offense. Two of the games went to overtime, with Vladar making at least 40 saves in each game.
The last time the Flyers had a solid goaltender dates back to Steve Mason, who was with the team from 2013 to 2017. Since then, they've had 17 goaltenders play at least one game. Only Carter Hart came close to Mason's numbers, appearing in 227 games between 2019 and 2024. The rest played a combined 567 games, with Sam Ersson and Brian Elliot combining for 273 games.
Vladar has a long way to go after just one season, but he proved in that season that he can handle the responsibilities and pressure of being a starter in this league.
Dan Vladar's extension is worth the risk for the Flyers
Getting the numbers part out of the way, it will be a modest bump in pay for Vladar when the contract kicks in for the 2027-28 season, jumping from 3.35M to 5.5M. The salary cap for that season is expected to be over 113M, and may rise even more after that. Vladar's contract should look like a bargain by then, especially compared to what salaries will likely be around the league. He will also have a full no-movement clause in the first two years, moving to a 15-team no-trade clause in the third year, a 10-team one in the fourth year, and ending with a five- team one in the final year.
And with the Flyers not having a goaltending prospect ready to hit the NHL yet, there isn't a concern about blocking anyone. Joseph Woll's contract is also only for two years, which should hopefully line up with when Carson Bjarnason is ready for the jump to Philadelphia full-time. It's possible Egor Zavragin could be ready to come to North America as well, but that's not a guarantee. Aleksei Kolosov may still be in the mix, but it doesn't seem likely.
With another year remaining on his contract, the Flyers could've waited to see if he could replicate this past season. They only had a 50+ game sample size and didn't have to be in a hurry to extend him. But with the cap rising and the potential that another solid season could raise the numbers, Danny Briere got ahead of the game.
As with any player, there is always concern about possible regression. The same could be said for Vladar, as the goaltending position can be demanding. While the five years may be a bit long, that could be how the Flyers were able to settle on a more than reasonable cap hit. It also shows faith in Vladar, something he surely appreciates.
If all pans out, the Flyers may have found their answer in net for the next few years. It's one thing off Briere's list as he works to turn this team into a contender.
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