The Philadelphia Flyers got a tough break earlier this week, losing starting goaltender Dan Vladar to an apparent lower-body injury.
The club has yet to formally announce any sort of timeline regarding Vladar’s injury. While it hardly seems like a season-ending one, it could leave the Flyers bereft of their top netminder.
Vladar was not in the crease for the Flyers' 6-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night. Samuel Ersson got the call, and, well, things didn’t go all that well.
Things might get a bit more complicated if a renowned medical expert is right. Dr. Harjas Grewal took to social media to offer his expert opinion. In his estimation, Vladar could be dealing with a groin injury, an ailment that could sideline him week to week.
Concern would be a groin strain for Vladar
— Dr. Harjas Grewal (@Harjas_Grewal) January 15, 2026
Most often these are week-to-week injuries for goalies
Similar to Point, will be a tight timeline for the Olympics https://t.co/CkSw9QlXe1
That’s no bueno for the Flyers as they look to nab one of the wild card spots in the Eastern Conference. Groin issues can be really tricky for hockey players, especially goaltenders. The amount of lower-body movement goalies endure makes a groin issue that much harder to recover from.
A week-to-week timeline seems the most reasonable. Depending on the severity of the issue, some rest could be enough to help Vladar get back into game action. Mild groin strains typically sideline netminders for about two to three weeks.
Olympics in jeopardy for Flyers goalie
Another major question for Vladar is his participation in the 2026 Olympics. As Grewal pointed out, Vladar could risk missing the Olympics. The Flyers’ netminder was named to Czechia’s roster, along with several high-profile NHLers.
Depending on the prognosis, Team Czechia may need to find a replacement for Vladar. The European squad named Vladar, along with the Anaheim Ducks’ Lukas Dostal and the Utah Mammoth’s Karel Vejmelka, as their goaltending trio.
However, a week-to-week prognosis for Vladar could jeopardize his participation. As such, the Flyers would much rather have him stay in North America rehabbing his injury. The three-week layoff during the Olympics should help Vladar get back into game shape.
Vladar, the Flyers, and Team Czechia should get more clarity in the coming days as they get a better idea of what the prognosis will be.
In the meantime, Team Czechia is likely looking to see what options there may be to replace Vladar. An injury to Vladar could open the door for the New York Islanders’ David Rittich, who’s had a solid season as the backup to Ilya Sorokin.