Phanatic Hockey Editor
If nothing else, Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar is direct and to the point.
It is a hallmark of a significant number of Slavic peoples. Evidence of this, as far as the franchise is concerned, stretches back at least as far as former defenseman and Czechia native Petr Svoboda’s assessment of Buffalo upon his acquisition by Philadelphia in the spring of 1995, as told by long-time backliner Chris Therien.
So when Vladar told an assembled throng of team personnel and media on players’ breakup day, May 12, that he’s intensely ruminating over the final goal of the Flyers’ season – a less-than-classic tally scored by Carolina forward Jackson Blake roughly 5 ½ minutes into overtime of a season-ending Game 4 just 17 days ago – with roughly 60-odd hours between the red light and the interview, you gotta believe him.
“I probably watched it 150 times, getting more and more mad and it’s still in me,” he admitted. “That’s another fire that’s going to be driving me forward. Goals happen. They happen every single day around the league. For me, (it’s about) that mentality to give myself a better chance to be a better goalie next year.”
When asked what it was like failing to stop the last shot he faced? “Tough.”
Onto the offseason, and there was more compact communication.
When asked if the undisclosed injury that is definitely in the hand and/or arm area suffered when Penguins winger Bryan Rust strafed him in the first round would affect training over the summer, he offered just five words: “No, I don’t think so.”
When pressed on what, specifically, he could work on this summer, he chose the politician’s route, saying: “We can always get better and obviously there’s gonna be little things that I’m gonna go meet with Dilly (Kim Dillabaugh) our goalie coach here and have a long conversation,” he hedged, but then struck back with this nugget:
“I’m not sure I’m gonna give you any hints right now but there’s gonna be stuff, for sure.”
One of those things that screams out on video, his occasional ability to lose focus when playing the puck. We all know about the twin gaffes against the Penguins and Hurricanes which cost goals. But this is something that goes back to his days with the Flames:
Asked about a contract extension, as Vladar is an unrestricted free agent in July 2027, heading into the final year of his current 2-year, $6.7M deal: “If you ask the same question to Danny B, I’m gonna be watching, so we’ll see what he says.”
Danny B apparently heard him and, two days later, offered little in the way of truthiness. Nonetheless, it’s still curious that rumors of an extension started wafting about a week after the breakup. As reported by at least one beat, the new contract would be in the range of 3-to-6 years, with a shorter term meaning higher average annual value. And if you believe some internet radio host whose face keeps popping up on my YouTube feed for no good or apparent reason, Vladar has some kind of clue, from somewhere, that the Flyers are interested in retaining his services.
If these feelers are true and not just leaks intended to keep the fanbase attuned after the Flyers were eliminated, Briere is about to fall into the trap of extending based on potential and not reality. As true today as it was when I first mentioned it around 2015; hockey logic and human logic don’t often intersect.
Other than not wanting to negotiate or sign in-season, what’s wrong with waiting until, let’s say, next All-Star break to have more data, statistics and trends from which to make a decision?
Vladar appears to have the internal drive and temperament, as well as an advanced standing in media relations, to be a long-time starter for the Flyers. The (multi) million dollar question is, will Vladar be ready to be a true No. 1?
Vladar made some history this past postseason. He joined Bernie Parent, Pelle Lindbergh, Ron Hextall, Michael Leighton and Carter Hart as the only netminders to record more than one shutout within a playoff series.
When the day eventually arrives, he will also become the first, among goaltenders to play at least 40 games in any single year, to record at least one postseason clean sheet before doing so in the regular season.
Vladar laid the foundation for that success with a slew of career bests: highs in wins (29), total minutes (2995:13), tying a career high in save percentage (.906), setting a career low in goals against average (2.42). Saves like these, in Columbus in late January – where flexibility and timing are required – aren’t the kind we need to see often, but it’s good to have in the repertoire:
He ended the year having surrendered 3 or fewer goals in 20 of his final 23 starts since a stinker on March 9 at home vs. the Rangers, also racking up a .922 save pct. and 2.18 GAA across 10 playoff starts. Those stats helped, no doubt, by head coach Rick Tocchet’s system of shot suppression, where the 27-year-old faced 25.16 per game in the regular season.
How does Vladar’s workload measure up to other starters over the last decade?
- In 2025-26, he played a total of 62 contests: 52 regular season, 10 playoffs.
- In 2024-25, Sam Ersson logged the most with 47 games on his ledger.
- Two years back, Ersson appeared 51 times, as Carter Hart, the October starter, played 26 games before his release.
- Hart saw action in 55 games in 2022-23.
- In 2021-22, Hart appeared 45 times while insurance backup Martin Jones played in 35.
- During the COVID year of 2021, Brian Elliott played in 30 of the mandated 56-game slate.
- In Alain Vigneault’s first full season, 2019-20, Hart was called on 43 times.
- During 2018-19, 8 goaltenders played at least one game, with Hart logging the most at 31 games and Elliott adding 26.
- Dave Hakstol’s last full season behind the bench, 2017-18, Elliott got the nod 43 times.
- During Hak’s first two seasons, it was Mason as the clear starter, playing in 54 and 58 games, respectively.
Nobody will touch the Flyers’ all-time record for appearances in one season by a goaltender, set by Parent (73 games over a 78-game schedule, 1973-74). A future starter might never even get close to Parent’s 68 appearances in 1974-75 or Martin Biron's same number in 2007-08.
After that:
65 games - Lindbergh (1984-85)
61 games - Mason (2013-14)
60 games - Dominic Roussel (1993-94)
59 games - Ilya Bryzgalov (2011-12)
When asked about the Flyers’ historical lack of maintaining the presence of a No. 1 goaltender, Vladar said that one of the reasons he chose Philadelphia was the opportunity to play and claim the starter’s role. He’s got the reins now. It’s up to the coaching staff and his own performance.
While Briere said during his final presser that he’d have to evaluate whether Ersson would be back next year, here are the financials: Ersson’s current deal expired with restricted free-agent status after earning $1.45M last season. Alexei Kolosov was signed in mid-May to a “show us something, please, we’re begging you” 1-year contract at $850K after earning $925K last year into his own RFA season.
Ersson is a logical choice to be brought back, albeit at a discount. Educated guess, he’d get up to one-third of the work – which would set him up for 25-27 starts and roughly 28-30 appearances. If Ersson is either low-balled or flat-out non tendered, it’s another headache for Briere to have to comb the free-agent market to find a veteran stopgap, because nobody thinks Kolosov is an answer.
That means Vladar would shoulder the burden of 55-57 starts, brushing up against the threshold of the above-mentioned No. 1 guys from the past. Assuming one playoff round, we’re at anywhere from 59-69 appearances if Ersson or another choice falters, it might be more.
“Obviously I’m not satisfied with (last) season. I want more,” Vladar said. “But at the same time I know we have great team staff around here in Philly and also I trust my guys back home in the summer. I think everybody’s on the same page and it’s going to be a conversation we’re gonna have to get me as ready as possible.”
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