Philadelphia Flyers sign goalie Dan Vladar, center Christian Dvorak as NHL free agency begins
The Philadelphia Flyers opened NHL free agency Tuesday by signing goalie Dan Vladar, centers Christian Dvorak and Lane Pederson and defensemen Noah Juulsen and Dennis Gilbert.
Here's what we know and how each player is likely to fit into the Flyers' plans for the 2025-26 season.
Who is Dan Vladar? The Flyers finally get a goalie
The Flyers inked Vladar to a two-year contract with a $3.35 million annual average value, general manager Danny Briere announced.
Vladar, 27, joins the Flyers' organization after spending the last four seasons with the Calgary Flames. Last season in Calgary, Vladar posted a 2.80 goals against average and a .898 save percentage.
A 2015 third-round pick by the Boston Bruins, Vladar has a career .895 save percentage in 105 NHL games.
Philadelphia entered the offseason needing a netminder to partner with Samuel Ersson. Flyers' goalies allowed 3.45 goals per game last season and had an NHL-worst .879 save percentage. Vladar's signing signals that Ivan Fedotov, who would have to clear waivers, will likely spend time in the AHL in 2025-26. Aleksei Kolosov, 23, remains under contract.
"It looks that way, obviously. The way they've played the last couple of years, it's probably Ersson-Vladar," Briere said. "But how many teams go with two goalies? Not too many of them. You need three, four goalies. So my message to them is that it doesn't matter where you slot in right now, come in, be ready and when it's your turn, you have to perform."
Briere said Vladar reached out to the Flyers and told the organization he wanted to come to Philadelphia. The Flyers' general manager said he spoke with a number of free agents before ultimately signing Vladar to a two-year contract.
"Dan Vladar told us very early on that he saw an opportunity. He wanted to come in and compete in Philadelphia, so we jumped on it," Briere said. "Ideally, we were looking for a one-year deal, but we realized to get some help, we needed to step it up a little bit. When he told us he wanted to come, we jumped on it."
"Our goalie coaches were excited about the package. There was no perfect goalie who was available out there," Briere added, "but we feel that he gives us a chance to come in and compete with our group and push the envelope. He has a chance to become our No. 1 depending on how he plays or how other guys play."
Briere said Ersson, Fedotov and Kolosov were told after the season to come to training camp ready to compete for a job.
The Flyers explored the trade market before signing Vladar, but felt free agency made more sense, Briere said.
"Because the market was so thin, teams were aware of that and the prices were way more than what we were willing to pay," Briere said.
Where does Christian Dvorak fit into the Flyers' lineup?
Dvorak signed a one-year, $5.4 million deal with the orange and black, Briere announced.
The 29-year-old center comes to Philadelphia with a previous connection to new Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet. Dvorak played four seasons under Tocchet for the then-Arizona Coyotes from 2017-18 until 2020-21.
Last season, Dvorak scored 12 goals and 33 points in 82 games for the Montreal Canadiens. He averaged over two minutes per game on the penalty kill and won 55.8% of his faceoffs.
While playing for Tocchet in Arizona, Dvorak scored 52 goals and 113 points in 224 games.
Dvorak gives Tocchet and the Flyers depth and insurance at center after the club traded fourth-liner Ryan Poehling in a package to acquire Trevor Zegras last week.
All signs indicate that the Flyers will give Zegras the opportunity to play his natural position of center. Jett Luchanko, the Flyers' 2024 first-round pick, and undrafted signee Karsen Dorwart were also options to replace Poehling in the lineup, but neither was a guarantee to make the team. Dvorak, on a one-year deal, gives the coaching staff bottom-six depth at center.
Briere said Dvorak will get an opportunity to contribute to the Flyers in 2025-26, citing the team's lack of center depth. The GM said Sean Couturier and Noah Cates are the only two locks who will actually play in the middle.
"It's no secret that we're pretty thin in the middle," Briere said. "We hope that Zegras can play center as well, but there are opportunities for him, probably more than he would have seen somewhere else, and I feel that was probably very enticing for him."
"To get a big body like that that can play a 200-foot game, win faceoffs for us," Briere added. "I think he makes us a better team having him down the middle."
Briere said that the Dvorak signing will not block Luchanko from making the Flyers, but the 18-year-old will have to earn it in training camp.
Flyers sign another free agent with a Rick Tocchet connection
Dvorak wasn't the only free agent the Flyers signed Tuesday with a connection to the club's new head coach. Philadelphia signed right-handed defenseman Noah Juulsen to a one-year, $900,000 contract, Briere announced.
Juulsen, a 2015 first-round pick by the Montreal Canadiens, spent the last four seasons playing for the Vancouver Canucks. For part of the previous three campaigns, Juulsen played for Tocchet when he was the head coach there.
The 28-year-old defender is 6-foot-2 and 201 pounds and skated in 35 games last season for Vancouver. He averaged over 16 minutes of ice time and 2:21 on the penalty kill, which was second on Vancouver.
Juulsen figures to provide the Flyers with depth at defense and likely be a regular in their defensive rotation.
Another depth defenseman signed
Dennis Gilbert, a lefty shot, comes to Philadelphia on a one-year, $875,000 contract, Briere announced.
Gilbert, a 6-foot-2 blueliner, played mostly with the Buffalo Sabres last season but was traded to the Ottawa Senators in the Dylan Cozens deal. Overall, he had six assists in 29 NHL games last season.
The 29-year-old has played parts of six NHL seasons, spending most of his career in the AHL.
Gilbert will provide the Flyers with depth on the blue line and is likely to serve as a veteran option for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
Flyers add AHL depth with another Tocchet connection
The Flyers also signed center Lane Pederson to a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000.
Pederson has more than 70 games in the NHL over parts of three seasons, and if there's a common theme here, the 27-year-old has played for Tocchet twice. He played 15 games for Tocchet in Airzona in the 2020-21 season and 11 for the Canucks in 2022-23.
After the Flyers opted not to qualify Elliot Desnoyers, making him an unrestricted free agent, Pederson likely factors in as an AHL forward and a call-up option.
