Dan Vladar is set to cash in on the breakout season that changed his standing in Philadelphia.
According to his agent, Dan Milstein, the Flyers are signing Vladar to a five-year, $27.5MM extension, with the deal set to be officially registered at noon Eastern. Earlier reporting from Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic had the two sides close on a contract that would carry a $5.5MM cap hit, and it could not be officially announced until Wednesday.
The agreement comes after Vladar turned a one-year opportunity into a full-time grip on the Flyers’ crease. Philadelphia signed him to a two-year deal last summer, hoping for some added upside in goal. Vladar gave them that and then some, quickly seizing the starting job and helping power the club to the second round of the playoffs.
For the Flyers, the bet is now being rewarded with a long-term commitment. For Vladar, it’s the kind of raise that matches the season he just put together. He was making $3.35MM this year and is also set to earn that same amount in 2026-27, but this extension pushes him into a different salary tier.
The 28-year-old had never appeared in more than 30 NHL games in a season before 2025-26. This year, he blew past that mark with 52 appearances, including 51 starts.
He posted a career-best 2.42 GAA and matched his personal best with a .906 SV%, which he had first set as a rookie in 2021-22. MoneyPuck ranked him 10th in the league in Goals Saved Above Expected at 13.8.
Vladar was even better in the playoffs. Across 10 games, he finished with a 2.18 GAA and a .922 SV%, and his 8.5 Goals Saved Above Expected was second among postseason goaltenders.
There’s some risk in locking in a goalie after just one season at that level, especially given Vladar’s limited track record before this year. But waiting would have carried its own danger. If he repeats anything close to this performance in 2026-27, the price would almost certainly climb beyond the mid-$5MM range.
In the end, GM Daniel Briere appears to have decided the upside of acting now outweighed the gamble. And with Vladar under contract for the long haul, Philadelphia can look at one half of its goaltending tandem as settled. That gives prospects like Carson Bjarnason and Yegor Zavragin more runway to develop, with the possibility that one of them eventually steps into the backup role over the next few seasons.
Goaltending has been a messy spot in Philadelphia for a while. Right now, it looks a lot closer to being a strength than a problem.
In Other News...
Flyers Add Another Mystery Forward With Something To Prove
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Foote, who previously played in the Florida Panthers organization, will be paid at the league minimum of $850,000 in the NHL and $300,000 in the AHL. For the Flyers, the real question is whether he can push his way into the conversation for a roster spot or end up starting the season in Lehigh Valley, which is where these kinds of signings often begin to reveal their value. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers New Czech Goalie Addition Comes With One Surprising Twist
The Flyers added another intriguing name to their goaltending pipeline when they used a second-round pick on Martin Psohlavec, a Czech netminder who has already gotten a taste of the organization at Development Camp. The young goalie has plenty to like on paper, too, after turning in a strong run in the Czech Under-20 League and showing enough promise to be part of a prospect group that is starting to draw some attention in Philadelphia.
Psohlavec also arrives with a built-in connection that makes the fit a little more interesting. He said he is excited to be in the same system as fellow Czech goalies Dan Vladar and Marek Sklenicka, and he has singled out Vladar as a role model as he begins to map out his own path. For a Flyers team always looking to build depth in goal, the nationality link is a small but notable twist, and it adds another layer to watch as Psohlavec settles in and starts talking with the veterans who can help shape what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Porter Martone Is Sending A Clear Message At Flyers Camp
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The Flyers are easing him in with power-skating work and checking in on how he feels as camp goes on, which fits the broader point of this week: development is not always linear, even for a player already trying to push toward the next level. Martone has made it clear he wants to keep improving and put himself in position for the season ahead, and the way the Flyers handle his workload now should say plenty about where he stands in their plans. [Read more 🡒]