- Pierre LeBrun reports the Flyers and Dan Vladar are closing in on a five-year extension
- The deal carries a $5.5 million cap hit and can’t be made official until July 1
- Read below for the season that earned Vladar his payday in Philadelphia
The Flyers found their goalie, and now they’re paying to keep him.
Dan Vladar and Philadelphia are closing in on a five-year extension worth $5.5 million per season, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reported Sunday:
LeBrun noted there are still some final touches to sort out, and the deal can’t be announced until July 1. The framework is in place at a $27.5 million total.
That’s a real raise. Vladar is locked in through next season at a $3.35 million cap hit, so the new number takes over after that.
He earned every dollar of it. Vladar signed in Philadelphia as an unrestricted free agent last July, bet on himself, and turned in the best year of his career. He went .906 with a 2.42 goals-against average across a career-high 52 games.
Then he got better when it mattered. Vladar started all 10 of Philadelphia’s playoff games and posted a .922 save percentage with a 2.18 GAA in the first round.
None of that was a given. The 28-year-old Czech had spent six seasons bouncing between Boston, Calgary, and Philadelphia as a backup, playing just 157 games and carrying a career .898 save percentage into this year.
The Flyers clearly think the position is finally settled. They traded for Joseph Woll earlier this month to pair behind Vladar, and now they’re committing five more years to the guy who carried them through a playoff round.
Philadelphia hasn’t had this kind of certainty in net in years. They’re spending to make sure it sticks around.
