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The Philadelphia Flyers have played 19 games so far in the 2025-26 season. They currently hold a 10-6-3 record with 23 total points and sit seventh in the Metropolitan Division. As you may be able to tell from the title of this article, I feel as though it’s time to discuss whether Dan Vladar has taken over as the Flyers’ number one goaltender.
Vladar Signs in Philly
In case you forgot the details, let me remind you how the Flyers ended up with Vladar in the first place. Flyers general manager Daniel Briere signed Vladar in free agency on July 1, 2025. The contract signed was a two-year, $6.7 million one that would keep him in the City of Brotherly Love until the end of the 2026-27 season.
Vladar wanted the opportunity, and Briere gave him just that. “Dan Vladar told us very early on that he saw an opportunity,” Flyers general manager Daniel Briere said. “He wanted to come in and compete in Philadelphia, so we jumped on it. For us, ideally, we’re looking for a one-year deal, but we realized that to get some help, we needed to step it up a little bit, but when he told us that he wanted to come, we jumped on it.”
Much like all goaltenders, inconsistencies will play a factor. Before coming to Philly, Vladar struggled with the Boston Bruins and Calgary Flames. He’d get off to horrible starts to the season and get pulled often in blowouts. He couldn’t find consistency with his time with either club. However, times have looked like they’ve changed. We’ll get to his numbers in a bit.
Vladar’s Background
Before we bring the big statistics into play, let’s quickly break down who Vladar is. Vladar is a 6’5″, 209lb netminder who hails from Prague, Czechia. He was drafted by the Boston Bruins in 2015 in the third round, 75th overall. He’d spend only a season in Boston and then would be traded to the Flames on July 28, 2021.
Vladar played four seasons in Boston’s AHL affiliate, Providence, where he recorded a record of 36-26-13, a 2.33 goals-against average (GAA), and a .917 save percentage. He would make his NHL debut with the Bruins on August 27, 2020, during their playoff run.
Vladar vs. Ersson
Now is the time to bring the numbers in and share why I think Vladar should be the number one starter. We all thought that Sam Ersson would get the start in the season opener, but new head coach Rick Tocchet thought otherwise. Vladar made his Flyers debut on opening night back on October 9, 2025.
Let’s bring back the consistency argument for just a moment. Vladar kicked off the new season with his new club in what could be described as the best way possible. In his first six starts, he allowed two goals or fewer against some tough competition. Allowing this few number of goals against teams like the Florida Panthers and Minnesota Wild isn’t an easy task. He helped lead the Flyers to wins in four of those six games.
Ersson, on the other hand, hasn’t started his new season on the right foot. In fact, in the six games that he’s started, he has allowed four goals or more in three of them. While he, too, has faced tough competition, Ersson hasn’t played to Vladar’s level quite yet.
Before the season started, Flyers fans might have been thinking that the two goaltenders would split time in the net. Right now, it definitely doesn’t look that way. Is Tocchett putting more trust in Vladar? In my opinion, until Ersson picks up his game and can show that he can make that “big” save for the team, you play Vladar.
Health should also be talked about here, especially Ersson’s. Ersson spent quite some time on the Injured Reserve list last season due to lower-body injuries. This season, he has already hit the list once. Injuries can be frustrating, but when it comes to goaltenders who can’t stay healthy, that gives fans plenty of reasons to question things.
Season numbers
Vladar: 12 GP, 7-4-1, 2.37 GAA, .911 SV%
Ersson: 6 GP, 3-1-2, 3.30 GAA, .846 SV%
My Opinion
I think Briere hit the nail on the head with this signing. Vladar is truly showing that he wants to be the number one goaltender for the orange and black. He’s getting significantly more starts than Ersson and is making that “big” save when the team needs it. Has he hit some rough patches along the way? Yes. However, he always finds a way to bounce back and get ready for his next start.
Flyers Next Game
The Flyers next game is tonight at 7 pm in Philadelphia against the New Jersey Devils.
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