Flyers Set to Hand Dan Vladar a Five-Year Deal After One Strong Season as Starter

The Philadelphia Flyers are about to make Dan Vladar a very rich man. And honestly, he earned it.

According to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, the team and Vladar are finalizing a five-year contract extension worth $5.5 million per season. The deal can’t be officially signed until July 1, but the framework is essentially done.

This is a real commitment for a guy who entered last summer as a career backup. The Flyers signed him to a two-year deal in free agency, hoping he could handle a starter’s workload. Vladar answered that question emphatically.

The numbers that earned the bag

Vladar played 52 games in 2025-26 and posted a 2.42 goals-against average with a .906 save percentage. Those numbers don’t scream elite, but context matters. He stabilized a position that had been a headache for Philadelphia since Brian Elliott and Carter Hart days. He took the starting job from Samuel Ersson and didn’t give it back.

The playoffs were even better. Vladar put up a 2.18 GAA and .922 save percentage as the Flyers knocked off the Penguins in six games. The run ended with a sweep by the Hurricanes, who went on to win the Cup. But Vladar showed enough to convince the front office he’s the guy.

Danny Briere clearly trusts him. The $5.5 million AAV is a significant raise from the $3.35 million Vladar is currently making. For a 28-year-old Czech goaltender who spent years as a backup in Calgary, this is life-changing money.

A goalie swap and a new challenge

Here’s the interesting part. The Flyers traded Ersson earlier this month and brought in Joseph Woll from Toronto in a goalie swap. So Vladar will be competing with Woll for starts next season instead of Ersson.

But let’s be real. This contract says the job is Vladar’s to lose. You don’t hand a guy five years and $27.5 million if you view him as a 1B option.

The Flyers have more than $33 million in cap space, so this deal doesn’t handcuff them. It’s a fair price for a goalie who just proved he can carry a team to the playoffs. And after years of instability in net, Philly can finally stop worrying about who’s starting Game 1.

Vladar didn’t waste his chance. Now he gets paid like a franchise goalie. The question is whether he can sustain it over five years. Based on what we saw this season, the Flyers are betting he will.