It didn’t take long for the Flyers to address multiple needs for the roster in free agency. For the team that has been worst in the league in save percentage for the last few seasons, it was imperative to get a goalie who could play alongside Sam Ersson in a tandem.

Enter Dan Vladar.

The veteran goalie, who spent the last four seasons with the Calgary Flames, signed a two-year deal with a $3.35 million AAV on July 1. Vladar, 27, is ready for the new opportunity to potentially get more starting time.

“To be honest, I don’t want to hear anything. I just want to show up as ready as I can and play my best hockey,” Vladar said on Friday in a Zoom press conference. “I think the way it should be, whoever is going to play the best should be playing. I’m going there to play as many games as I can, but I’m there for team success. Whoever is hotter at that time should be playing.”

Vladar finished the 2024-25 season well as Calgary battled for a playoff spot into the final few games of the regular season. While the Flames narrowly missed the playoffs, Vladar gained some valuable information about himself.

“The season is so long that sometimes you’re going to be playing better than other times,” Vladar said. “Especially for me, coming off surgery, as the year went on and it got longer, I started to feel better with my strength. I think that was a huge part of why I was playing better hockey, but at the same time, it’s a learning experience for me too. I know what it takes for me to play my best hockey. That’s what I’m going to be doing since day one when I’m going to be going to Philadelphia.”

Vladar has several friends who have worn the Orange and Black before, perhaps none bigger than Jake Voracek. His fellow countryman was his first call when deciding if Philadelphia was the right place to go.

“When he was still playing, I used to work out with him,” Vladar said. “We have a pretty close relationship. He was literally the first guy I was talking to about Philly. So he told me all the best things about the city.

“All the Czech guys, they love the city and everybody enjoyed their time there. So that was another big reason for me why I really wanted to come.”

Vladar also got plenty of feedback on what it will be like working with goalie coach Kim Dillabaugh. Several past connections helped Vladar get an idea of what to expect.

“He [Dillabaugh] was probably the second person I spoke to when I signed the contract,” Vladar said. “I was speaking with [Michal Neuvirth], I even asked Petr Mrazek as well, even my old goalie coach Jason LaBarbera in Calgary who had him as well. Everybody just said the best things about him. That was another big reason for me that I decided to come there. I felt like it’s going to be a great fit for me. He’s been super supportive. He’s even going to come see me in Prague in a couple of weeks. That’s really nice and I cannot wait to work with him.”

Vladar has never played more than 30 games in a season, which is certainly something to consider as he moves forward. Granted, Vladar has also been behind some top netminders in the league. In Boston, he shared the net with Tuukka Rask. In Calgary, he was first behind Jacob Markstrom and last season behind Dustin Wolf. The chance to play more and show he is capable of handling the workload was a big factor in Vladar’s decision.

“That’s another reason why I wasn’t satisfied with my role in Calgary,” Vladar said. “I wanted to keep moving forward. I just felt like Philly is the best spot for me going forward. I’m 100 percent confident that I have a lot more in me. Whether it’s going to be over 30 or under 30, it all depends on how I’m playing and how Sam is going to be playing. I’ll just do my best as I always did, but at the same time I’m super confident that I can be playing more games.”

Vladar has been on both sides of the goaltending tandem, the younger guy coming in and learning and the veteran there to help lead the way. Vladar doesn’t seem to mind either role, and more just wants to build a quality relationship with Ersson as they both challenge each other to be better and more consistent.

“I still feel like my game can be improving,” Vladar said. You can look at it from both sides. At the same time, I’m still learning. It doesn’t matter if the goalie is five years younger or five years older than me. I still feel like the goalies are always going to be pushing each other and you can learn from each other. 

“I can’t wait to be working with Sam. If he’s going to feel like I can maybe step up and tell him something, I will do it for sure and the thing I want from him is if he’s going to see something to help me out as well. Every single team I’ve played on, I’ve had a really good goalie partner. So I’m hoping and super confident it’s going to be the same way in Philly too.”