The Flyers spent Tuesday night at TD Garden watching their biggest concern unfold in real time.
Dan Vladar, coming off an excellent first season in Philadelphia and now locked in on a five-year, $27.5 million extension, left the preseason game with an upper-body injury after 6:29 in the first period. The 29-year-old goalie was bent over and clearly bothered as he headed for the bench, favoring his right arm and stick hand after Boston’s goal made it 1-0.
The sequence started when Vladar tried to control a rebound and lost his stick. Michael Eyssimont then finished the play by deflecting a shot past him, and although Vladar got back to his feet, he did not stay in the game.
Aleksei Kolosov took over and finished the night in net.
For the Flyers, the timing could hardly be worse. The regular season opens next Wednesday, and losing Vladar for any stretch would be a major hit. At this point, the club’s next practice session Wednesday may offer the first real clue about whether the departure was precautionary or something more serious.
Vladar’s first season in Philadelphia gave the Flyers exactly what they hoped for when they committed to him long term. He backstopped the team to its first playoff berth since 2020 and helped push it to the second round.
His regular season was the best of his career: 52 games, 29 wins and a 2.42 goals-against average, all personal highs. He also blew past his previous bests in appearances and victories, which had stood at 30 games and 14 wins.
Then he carried that form into the playoffs, posting a 2.18 goals-against average, a .922 save percentage and two shutouts in 10 starts.
"Nothing's older than yesterday's newspapers," Vladar said last Friday. "It's part of life, nobody cares what you did last year.
You've just got to take it day by day, week by week, game by game, period by period, shot after shot. That's just my mentality - focus on every single day.
I'm not looking too forward."
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Rick Tocchets Early Flyers Blueprint Could Change Everything On Defense
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The bigger question is whether the Flyers can actually make that transition stick. Last season, shot attempt numbers told a familiar story for most regulars, with the club often landing below the baseline that usually signals a team is driving play rather than chasing it. Tocchet and his staff have clearly identified possession as a priority, and if the Flyers can raise that level, it could change not just how the defense looks, but how the entire team plays. [Read more 🡒]