Top plays from last season for Flyers free agent additions

Last season was the fifth straight year the Flyers missed the postseason. Aiming to climb back into contention, Danny Briere looked to free agency to plug important holes in the lineup.

Before that, the Flyers re-signed Noah Cates and Tyson Foerster, later bringing back Cam York as well. They let Jakob Pelletier and Elliot Desnoyers walk. And while they did not re-sign Zayde Wisdom, he came back to the Phantoms on an AHL deal.

Briere's biggest additions during free agency were Christian Dvorak and Dan Vladar, both of whom play positions the Flyers needed to upgrade. Briere added depth with Noah Juulsen and Dennis Gilbert, two defensemen who add size and physicality.

Christian Dvorak

Dvorak is a solid, two-way forward, similar to Noah Cates. What Dvorak brings that excites the Flyers is not only his size, but his excellence in the faceoff dot. He has hovered over 50% in all but one season of his nine-year career. His 55.8 percent last season would've just been behind Sean Couturier (56.1) for first on the Flyers.

While Dvorak is likely to play more in the bottom-six, he can still provide some offense. He posted 12 goals and 33 points last season, and Philadelphia would love to get that kind of production down in the lineup. And they'll take moves like the one Dvorak pulled against Linus Ullmark in March. He finished the game with a career-high four points in the 6-3 win.

Dvorak bet on himself by taking the one-year deal in Philadelphia. He appeared in all 82 games for the Canadiens last season, the first time he's played a full season since the COVID-shortened season in 2020-21. One of Dvorak's best seasons came under Rick Tocchet, and his coaching could do the same once more.

Noah Juulsen

Juulsen was limited to 35 games for the Canucks last season after undergoing surgery in February to repair a sports hernia. He missed some time earlier in the season as well. But with a 12-week recovery, the surgery effectively ended his season.

Juulsen was one of two defensive depth signings for the Flyers. He's a physical player and is fearless when it comes to blocking shots. None were bigger than a game in December against the Red Wings. With a tie game in the third and Detroit on the power play, Juulsen was a one-man blocking machine.

He had five blocks total, most coming on one sequence. His biggest one saved a sure goal, as Alex DeBrincat had a wide-open net. Juulsen was already hobbled from a previous block, but got across to make another.

That's the kind of effort the Flyers can expect whenever Juulsen is in the lineup. He should fit in similarly to Rasmus Ristolainen, who he may replace at the beginning of the season. And his familiarity with Tocchet also helps.

Dennis Gilbert

Gilbert, known more as a depth defenseman, hasn't played in a ton of NHL games during his career. His most were the 34 games he played with the Calgary Flames during the 2023-24 season. Last year, he split time between the Buffalo Sabres and Ottawa Senators.

While he didn't have much time to impress with the Senators, one of his best plays came late in the season against the Hurricanes. It was a back-and-forth game as Ottawa scored the first three goals before Carolina stormed back with five straight.

The Senators would tie the game at 5-5 before Gilbert was tripped along the boards by Tyson Jost. On the ensuing power play, Drake Batherson scored to put the Senators ahead for good.

It's a small play in the grand scheme of things, but Gilbert's work along the boards forced the Hurricanes into a penalty that changed the game. Gilbert may play a minor role with the Flyers, either as a seventh or eighth defenseman or an AHL call-up. He also comes with size on the backend, a key factor for Philadelphia.

Dan Vladar

A career backup goaltender, Vladar played in a career-high 30 games last season. His numbers may not look inspiring, posting a 2.80 goals against average and a .898 save percentage. It was his best year since his first season with the Flames in 2021-22.

He helped the Flames more often than not while he was in the net. His effort in the latter half of the season kept them in playoff contention until the very end. With even league-average goaltending, the Flyers could've had a better fate last season. They'll be looking to Vladar to help with that.

Posting two shutouts during the season, Vladar achieved a rare feat during his first in November. Not only did he stop all 22 shots he saw, but he also assisted on the Flames' second goal. He became the fourth goaltender in Flames history, and first since 2005, to post a shutout and assist in the same game.

Unhappy with his role in Calgary, Vladar has a chance to prove that he is capable of more. He could help bring stability to the net while pushing Sam Ersson to be better. If the two can form a solid duo, the Flyers have a chance.