The Philadelphia Flyers aren't making big splash moves in NHL free agency this offseason, but they have been spending some of their hard-earned cap space.
They've laid down $10,525,000 over their four NHL signings this offseason. Lane Pederson is more of an AHL guy, but if he's with the big club, he helps balloon that number over $11 million. That number looks shockingly big when you consider that $8,750,000 is being spent on just two of those free agents.
Both Christian Dvorak ($5,400,000) and Dan Vladar ($3,350,000) are most definitely overpaid by their projected value. The other two players, Dennis Gilbert and Noah Juulsen, came cheap since they aren't regular NHLers, but they are the signings you'll expect from a middling to bottom team like the Flyers.
If you're an interested observer, you've probably seen the chatter noting that the price tag for players like Dvorak and Vladar seemed high, and that Gilbert and Juulsen are relatively uninspired. Nobody is wrong for saying this, but these are the deals that the Flyers are going to be making right now. Danny Briere isn't hiring long-term solutions; he's employing hockey mercenaries.
Christian Dvorak is a player who has one or two more shots to try and better his NHL career. He's been a serviceable NHL forward operating in the bottom six, killing penalties, winning faceoffs, and chipping in on offense.
His biggest issue is that he hasn't been on very good teams. He survived five years in Arizona, and aside from the Montreal Miracle run in the bubble, has been on a Montreal team that finished consistently under .500. It has impacted his offensive and defensive totals for sure.
With the Flyers, he'll have to move around the lineup and will likely have more offensive opportunities so he can inflate his numbers, and might find himself getting traded around the trade deadline. He knows going into this season it likely won't be pretty, but he'll be getting ice and getting paid. Don't expect him to buy a swanky Haddonfield house. He'll be renting somewhere.
Dan Vladar is another case of a player who knows that his situation could be improved, or sealed by taking this Flyers job. He's going to share the load in the crease with Sam Ersson. He's also a European goalie, so he'll likely serve as a mentor for his younger net partner, and should ideally create a smooth 1A-1B situation. He's been primarily a backup, and finding consistency can be difficult; his stats reflect that.
With more work and hopefully a consistent defensive core around him, Vladar can be successful. In this year's World Championships, he was 3-0 for Czechia with a shutout, a save percentage of .951, and a goals against average of 1.09. Over the course of the last season, the Flames tried to clinch a playoff birth. The team fell short, but Vladar excelled when called upon.
After March 1, he was stellar, posting a 2.14 goals against average and .920 save percentage in crunch time. He also won his final four starts of the year. Think of him like a Robert Esche. A younger backup who got better the more often he played, and in the right situation, developed into a very solid goaltender.
As for the extra defenders in Gilbert and Juulsen, look no further than one of the more popular current Flyers. Nick Seeler was an extra guy when he got to the Flyers. On most teams, he was too good for the AHL, but not good enough to get out of the press box. With injuries and opportunity, he found his footing and is now a Flyers favorite.
Gilbert and Juulsen will be fighting for that same chance. You might give the inside track to Juulsen since he followed coach Rick Tocchet from Vancouver, but it is anyone's game.
This is where the Flyers are. They are grabbing the spare parts, the deserters, and those who need a change of scenery. You can uncover gems this way, or you can employ very forgettable players that you'll randomly shout at a friend of yours in a bar and laugh about. Eric Chouinard! Pavel Brendl!