Vladar is set to stay with the Flyers for the long haul.
After establishing himself as a team leader and playing the best hockey of his career, it's no surprise that Dan Vladar and the Philadelphia Flyers have been equally receptive towards a contract extension.
Vladar, 28, bet on himself last offseason when he signed a two-year, $6.7 million contract ($3.35 million AAV) with the Flyers, willingly entering an open competition with incumbent Sam Ersson for the starting role.
The Czech netminder asserted himself from Day 1 and finished the 2025-26 season with a 29-14-7 record, a 2.42 GAA, and .906 save percentage, marking or tying career-highs across the board while playing in 52 games.
Vladar was even better in the playoffs, going 4-6-0 with a 2.18 GAA, .922 save percentage, and two shutouts--two more shutouts than he had in the entire regular season.
This is all to say that the Flyers have stumbled upon a starting-caliber goalie in Vladar on a relatively cheap prove-it deal, and the next step from here is a longer, more lucrative contract.
Both the player and the team want to make it happen, and it certainly seems as though it will in the very near future.
According to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman via The FAN Hockey Show, Vladar's contract extension with the Flyers is "pretty much done."
"Vladar, I think it's pretty much done. He's got a five-year extension done in Philly. They can't announce it, can't do anything until July 1st officially, but you're allowed to talk to the player."
Even the most ardent Vladar supporters can recognize the inherent risk in handing out a big five-year extension to a goalie coming off a great season after a bunch of average-to-below-average ones, but the Flyers aren't in a position to do otherwise.
Friedman went on to say he wonders about what this means for Ersson, who is widely expected to find a new NHL home this summer.
The Flyers will take the time to evaluate one of their homegrown draft picks, but even at his peak, Ersson was very close to Vladar at Vladar's worst, at least statistically.
Now that Vladar has virtually been extended until 2032, the Flyers will have to turn their attention to finding an adequate backup for him that can both help preserve him and be capable of stepping in as a starter if and when needed.
This move decreases the pressure the Flyers will have to put on prospects like Egor Zavragin, Carson Bjarnason, and Aleksei Kolosov to develop and be ready for NHL competition for the next few seasons.
Vladar will be 34 years old when the five-year contract extension expires.