The Philadelphia Flyers will have some business to do this summer. They have a couple key restricted free agents in Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale that could be locked up to long-term deals as this team starts to solidify their core moving forward. There’s the 2026 NHL Draft and free agency suddenly happening just a month from now. Heck, we might even see some trades happen with the winger logjam that is currently happening on the roster.
But one piece of business that has been at the forefront lately is goaltender Dan Vladar’s possible contract extension.
After being the Flyers’ own team MVP and essentially being the answer in the crease that this team has been looking for throughout the last several years, Vladar is about to be rewarded for his efforts fairly handsomely.
The 28-year-old netminder is eligible to sign a contract extension on July 1, as he heads into the final year of the two-year deal he signed with Philadelphia last summer. And now, we’re getting a clearer picture as to what exactly to expect with this new deal. It’s expected to be a fairly lengthy commitment with some real money behind it.
New details emerge about Dan Vladar’s contract extension
On an episode of DFO Rundown last week, David Pagnotta clarified some things about Vladar’s extension and gave some real years and dollar amounts as an example of what to expect.
“You’re probably looking at a five-year deal in the $5.5- to $6-million range. Something along those lines to keep him around,” Pagnotta said. “Yeah, you’re talking about starter money for Dan Vladar. Who, great end to his season, and who was the most important piece going into the playoffs. He basically carried them there. And he wants to be rewarded, and I think the team wants to reward him as well. So, those conversations will surely pick up.”
While the dollar amount was not certain, it seems like Vladar’s contract extension won’t be some small three-year deal that sends him to the open market fairly quickly. This will be a true commitment to the player. If signed to a five-year extension, Vladar will be locked up through the 2031-32 season and until he is 35 years old.
It is a real big reward for the season he had with the Flyers. Is it risky? Yeah, signing any goalie to a long-term contract has more risk than a skater, and especially when it’s a 28-year-old who just had his first season as a true starter and didn’t really show this potential in his previous seasons. It’s a risk but it’s something that can be fairly digestible given the rising salary cap — even if Vladar’s cap hit is $6 million, that can be what an above-average backup goalie makes in a few years. And at the very least, Vladar is that.
All of this boils down to an expected announcement almost immediately on July 1, within an hour of Vladar being eligible to sign an extension, having him put pen to paper and securing one of the best goalies that the Flyers have had for many more years.
If he crashes down into just being a (for now) expensive backup, then general manager Danny Briere will have his hands full trying to bring in another talent. If he stays on course or even improves next season, then we can all be parading in the streets and filled with immense joy that Vladar is committed to this team and believes in them.
