{"id":58972,"date":"2025-07-12T07:02:20","date_gmt":"2025-07-12T07:02:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/58972\/"},"modified":"2025-07-12T07:02:20","modified_gmt":"2025-07-12T07:02:20","slug":"dan-vladar-should-improve-flyers-goaltending-and-could-make-sam-ersson-better-too","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/58972\/","title":{"rendered":"Dan Vladar should improve Flyers\u2019 goaltending \u2014 and could make Sam Ersson better, too"},"content":{"rendered":"

The simplest way to frame the Philadelphia Flyers\u2019 goaltending misery probably goes something like this:<\/p>\n

For the past year and a half, the club has had just one NHL-caliber option, and that player, Sam Ersson, is still young and experiencing growing pains. He hasn\u2019t shown on a consistent enough basis that he\u2019s ready for a No. 1\u2019s workload.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s also worth remembering how it looked before Carter Hart\u2019s abrupt departure on Jan. 23, 2024.<\/p>\n

Ersson was thriving with a 12-6-3 record, .909 save percentage and 2.36 goals-against average in what was still technically his rookie season. He\u2019d settled in as a more than capable backup; he was essentially platooning with Hart at that point because of how well he was playing. He was earning more playing time.<\/p>\n

The Flyers had a legitimate and effective tandem. Their .900 team save percentage was 14th in the NHL, and they were alone in second place in the Metropolitan Division just past the halfway point of the season.<\/p>\n

But everyone knows what happened next: Ersson couldn\u2019t handle increased playing time after Hart departed, the Flyers had no other viable alternatives to give him a meaningful respite, and the club foundered. Then-coach John Tortorella\u2019s frequent assertion that if Hart had remained on the team, it would have made it into the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs is supported by the evidence.<\/p>\n

Ersson will remain on the roster at the start of the 2025-26 season. The Flyers have faith in the 25-year-old \u2014 probably even more now after his standout performance at the World Championships for Team Sweden \u2014 but they also recognized at the end of last season they better get him some help if they\u2019re going to improve.<\/p>\n

That help is Dan Vladar. The 27-year-old signed a two-year, $6.7 million contract with the Flyers on July 1 and spoke with local media for the first time Friday via video conference. He echoed general manager Daniel Briere\u2019s comments<\/a> immediately after the signing, that the opportunity for him to grow his career with the Flyers was the main motivator.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince the first time I heard about the organization, that they had some interest in me, I really wanted to come,\u201d Vladar said. \u201cI\u2019m happy it worked out, and I can\u2019t wait to be going there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Dan Vladar is heading to the City of Brotherly Love! \ud83d\udfe0 #NHLFreeAgency<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/vod3wJm34C<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 NHL (@NHL) July 1, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

He continued: \u201cThat\u2019s another reason why I wasn\u2019t satisfied with my role in Calgary: I want to keep moving forward. I just felt like Philly is the best spot for me going forward. I\u2019m 100 percent confident I have a lot more in me.\u201d<\/p>\n

The biggest question with Vladar is whether he\u2019s able to play more than he has historically. He has never started more than 29 games in a season \u2014 which he did last season, when he went 12-11-6 with a 2.80 goals-against average and .898 save percentage with Calgary as the No. 2 to Dustin Wolf, who ended up in second place in Calder Trophy voting.<\/p>\n

And while he was still firmly the No. 2 goalie in the second half of the Flames\u2019 season, after the 4 Nations break, Vladar found a groove. He closed out with a 5-1-1 record, .926 save percentage and 1.99 goals-against average in his final eight appearances.<\/p>\n

After a hip injury that required surgery ended his 2023-24 season prematurely in March of that year, he felt he was in a good place physically at the end of this past season.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs the year went on and it got longer, I just started to feel a little bit better with my strength,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The door will be open for Vladar to play 40-plus games this coming season if he can handle it, something he surely realized when he inked his new deal. Briere mentioned that he\u2019s informed all of the team\u2019s goalies \u2014 including the now No. 3, Ivan Fedotov \u2014 that playing time will be earned. There won\u2019t be any de facto No. 1 when training camp begins in September (although Briere did strongly suggest that it will be Ersson and Vladar as the tandem on opening night).<\/p>\n

\u201cMy message to them is it doesn\u2019t matter where you slot in right now. Come in and be ready,\u201d Briere said on July 1. \u201cWhen it\u2019s your turn, you\u2019ve got to perform. I hope we can create an environment that every single night they\u2019re battling for their spot. We\u2019re going to need at least three goalies. Maybe more. We know that, and Vladar helps put us in a better position.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Vladar is clearly an upgrade over the Flyers\u2019 two backups last season, Fedotov and Aleksei Kolosov, his presence is designed to boost Ersson, too. After all, Ersson seemed to be on a solid path before the chaos of the Hart situation.<\/p>\n

\u201cSam is also a goalie that needs to be fresh,\u201d Briere said. \u201cHe\u2019s at his best when he\u2019s fresh. Worked really well when he was a tandem with Carter Hart. (If) we can get him that (way) again, that would be great.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ersson has always seemed like a level-headed guy, and his ability to self-assess was something that Tortorella frequently mentioned among Ersson\u2019s best attributes.<\/p>\n

Both he and Vladar would seem to view the goalie position from a similar perspective: they want to play as much as possible, of course, but they know they\u2019re going to have to lean on their counterpart, too.<\/p>\n

\u201c(In) a long year, both (goalies are) going to have their ups and downs. I think you\u2019re trying to maximize both,\u201d Ersson said at the end of last season. \u201cWhen the goalie is hot, you\u2019re trying to ride that goalie a little bit more, and I think sometimes in tough stretches \u2026 you\u2019re going to rely on each other to help each other out and win some games when the team needs it. If one guy is struggling a little bit, you need the other guy to step up a little bit more.\u201d<\/p>\n

That didn\u2019t happen last season. When Ersson struggled, the Flyers were cooked, considering who was behind him.<\/p>\n

Vladar should help, particularly if he can build off of his 2024-25 late-season success. And he seems to have the same mindset as Ersson in that Flyers\u2019 goaltending will be more of a partnership than anything.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t wait to be working with Sam,\u201d he said. \u201cIf he\u2019s going to feel like I can maybe step up and tell him something, I will do it for sure. The thing I want from him is the same thing: if he\u2019s going to see something to help me out, as well. That\u2019s how I think it should be working.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vladar continued: \u201cObviously, I\u2019m going there to play as many games as I can, but I\u2019m there for team success. Whoever is hotter at the time should be playing. That\u2019s my view.\u201d<\/p>\n

(Photo: Rich Gagnon \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n