When the Philadelphia Flyers signed Christian Dvorak to his one-year contract last July 1, the idea was the Flyers were putting a short-term bandage on what looked like a significant problem. The center depth would still be an issue moving forward, but at least the Flyers had some semblance of an immediate answer to help Sean Couturier and Noah Cates carry the workload.
The price of $5.4 million AAV was considered a bit steep, particularly for a guy who registered 33 points in 82 games last season for Montreal. Generally speaking, Dvorak would provide help on the faceoff dot, bring some experience, and previously played elsewhere for first-year head coach Rick Tocchet.
The Flyers’ primary goal, at least going back to last summer, was that the 2026 offseason would be a free agent bonanza. Then, the Flyers, who might be coming off a decent season or show some improvement, would be able to entice one of Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, Kirill Kaprizov, Martin Necas, Kyle Connor, or others were thought to be on their way out of their respective towns. However, in a relatively short amount of time, those names ended up being quickly erased from free agency.
The dream that Flyers general manager Danny Briere had (along with other National Hockey League general managers) of landing one of these fish evaporated. So, heading into 2025-26, Briere knew Cates, Couturier and Dvorak would be at least three credible centers. If Dvorak didn’t pan out, then he’d be gone after the season.
To start the year, Dvorak found himself put in a decent position. In 2025-26, Dvorak was between some talented wingers he could play off of. Dvorak isn’t a dynamic playmaker by any stretch, but finding himself alongside Trevor Zegras and Travis Konecny for large chunks of the season had him in good positions for offensive chances.
Three months into 2025-26 he had 25 points (nine goals, 16 assists), and, barring injury, was looking at a career-high in a few categories. It was in early January that Briere pulled the trigger, signing Dvorak to a five-year extension worth $25.75 million ($5.15 million AAV).
“He has played a pivotal role in our team’s success this season and proven to be a reliable, two-way center that can be trusted in all situations,” Briere said regarding the extension. “More importantly, he plays a big role in our locker room and has fit in seamlessly to our group and what we are building.”
So, while some were (and still are) ridiculing Briere for the Dvorak extension, perhaps Briere might have opted for the lesser of two evils by inking Dvorak for five more seasons. We take a look at some reasons why it might not be the rash or idiotic decision some might think. Especially in the short-term.
Previous precedent
If Briere learned anything from the 2025 calendar year, it was don’t expect a lot of high-end free agents to be heading to different destinations the following summer. Given what transpired with Eichel, McDavid, Connor, and Kaprizov among others in a rather short amount of time before the season began, Briere couldn’t realistically believe any potential unrestricted free agents after the 2026-27 campaign would hit the open market next July.
For starters, the class of 2027 pales greatly compared to what 2026 promised. Assuming Sidney Crosby resigns with Pittsburgh, the most attractive (and youngest) centers hitting the market would be New Jersey’s Nico Hischier. Nothing against Hischier, but he’s not on a level like Eichel, McDavid, Connor, or Kaprizov. Boston’s Casey Mittelstadt and Ottawa’s Drake Batherson are the only other credible centers/forwards under 30 who might hit free agency. Yet given the amount of teams looking for help down the middle, it’s doubtful these three centers would hit the open market. Most likely, teams would extend these players before the season started (especially with Batherson and his 71 points last year). Or, if negotiations stalled, would probably deal them for a return before losing them for nothing.
That’s not to say Philadelphia couldn’t land any of those three players, but believing one of that trio would be automatically wearing a Flyers jersey in 2027-28 seems foolish at best. And delusional at worst. So, why risk losing a center you have now in the hopes of maybe adding a more-talented piece in the summer? Considering how often the summer of 2025 narrative from Briere and President of Hockey Operations Keith Jones was focused strongly on acquisitions this summer, it’s a certainty they can’t rely on dreams on the horizon to fix realities now. Again, it’s probably not the best situation for Briere to find himself in. However, seeing a 50-point center who was generally seen as a plus on and off the ice walk away would’ve presented more problems.
Dvorak’s deal not breaking the bank
To sign Dvorak to a five-year deal for a slightly smaller cap hit made good financial sense for the Flyers and Briere. The cap hit is $250,000 less AAV over the one-year deal ($5.15 million compared to $5.4 in 2025-26), so it’s not a huge anchor this coming season. As well, with the hefty increases in the salary cap, Dvorak’s deal goes from eating up five per cent of the team’s cap this coming season to just 3.7 per cent when it’s slated to conclude in 2030-31.
Perhaps just as important is that Dvorak and Philadelphia will be tied together for at least the first two seasons as he has a full no trade clause. In the third year, that goes to a 20-team no trade list, meaning Briere (assuming he’s still the general manager) has a bit more wiggle room to ship him off should things change. In year four, that no-trade list is only five teams, meaning Briere could easily trade him. Dvorak has no protection anyway in the fifth and final year. If Briere gets two to three quality years out of Dvorak, he’s laughing. And it’s a win for Philadelphia.
Should Dvorak remain healthy but essentially play himself out of the lineup, there’s always the possibility the Flyers would buyout the contract before the five years. For example, if Philadelphia decided to buy out the deal after the first two years, the cap hit would be greatest in 2028-29 ($3,511,111). It would then be reduced to roughly half that in 2029-30 ($1,761,111), take a slight rise in 2030-31 ($2,011,111) and then drop the following three seasons ($1,361,111) to the end of 2033-34.
Again, for a team that is now finally rid of the Cam Atkinson, Kevin Hayes, and Scott Laughton contracts from their ledgers, having a Dvorak buyout on the books isn’t great. However, a buyout after the first two years would work out to approximately one per cent of the total cap hit on the back half of the six-year buyout, from 2031-32 into 2033-34. That’s workable if Dvorak can give Philadelphia a similar season he had this year for the following two. Or more.
Dvorak isn’t blocking anyone
If Danny Briere’s first three seasons as the Flyers general manager are any indication, it’s clear he’s not about to pencil a player into the lineup based on their cap hit. One only has to look at how the Flyers hope to utilize Sean Couturier the rest of his deal to prove they won’t give a player more minutes based on their salary.
Currently, the Flyers look to be heading into 2026-27 with Zegras, Dvorak, Cates, and Couturier as their centers. If Jett Luchanko, Jack Berglund, or Jacob Gaucher stun everybody and have amazing camps, then Philadelphia will obviously have to address that situation at that time. However, for now, the general consensus is Dvorak will not be hindering or impeding any younger center from developing with the big club in the short term.
Ideally, Dvorak can mirror to a large extent the next two seasons (or more) based on what he produced in 2025-26. If that’s the case, it will take the pressure off Couturier a bit, while also enabling Cates and Zegras to possibly take bigger steps down the middle the next year or two year. This is especially true for Zegras, as he probably hasn’t come into his prime yet. He put up very good numbers while adjusting to the demands of a center, so could take that next step in 2026-27. Either way, having Dvorak in the lineup should help Philadelphia the next couple of seasons. He’s not simply a seat warmer for the next Flyers center on the horizon.
Briere can still look for a quality center
While it quite obvious, recent talk around Robert Thomas and Dylan Larkin have had some Flyers fans (and media people) drooling at Briere landing one of these highly coveted centers. But with Larkin reportedly with a three-team list of places he wants to go, and news that Thomas will not be on the table this summer, those dreams fall in line with the class of 2026 UFA bonanza: most likely pipe dreams. The Blues demanded Porter Martone as part of a package for Thomas, which shut down any logical talks. In short, centers are hard to come by, as hard as they are to draft and develop at times.
That’s not to say Briere isn’t still kicking tires and making calls in hoping to land a coveted center prior to the NHL Draft. But with Zegras, Dvorak, Cates, and Couturier the team’s current center quartet, it doesn’t force Briere’s hand to desperately land a center at a huge overpay or shipping out key young pieces. A trio of Zegras, Cates, and an aging Couturier could’ve resulted in a unrestricted free agent signed to a higher cap hit (and possibly longer term) than Dvorak has now. Or forcing a foreseeable Phantom into a position that they wouldn’t be ready for. Losing Christian Dvorak to free agency would have Philadelphia looking to fill a middle-six gap at center. Namely looking for a player like, er, Christian Dvorak.
In conclusion
The general reaction to the Dvorak extension was that Briere was jumping the gun far too soon on a player who wasn’t even 60 games into his Philadelphia tenure. The length of the contract was a sticking point, especially for a guy who was generally a 35-point to 40-point player. And Dvorak would most likely be on the downside of his career for most if not all of the deal.
However, considering Dvorak did look good in his first year as a Flyer, and agreed to a smaller cap hit for the security, it was not exactly the worst thing in the world for Briere to have committed to. Briere is rolling the dice on at least two good seasons from Dvorak, while giving himself some options if things go pear-shaped heading into year three. He won’t lead them to a Cup next season on his own, but his presence shouldn’t be a detriment when it comes to securing a playoff spot either. And keeping this Flyers ship heading in the right direction.
Stats courtesy of ESPN.com and Capwages.com.
