{"id":414538,"date":"2026-01-18T16:55:12","date_gmt":"2026-01-18T16:55:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/414538\/"},"modified":"2026-01-18T16:55:12","modified_gmt":"2026-01-18T16:55:12","slug":"philadelphia-flyers-christian-dvorak-extension-shows-contrast-from-contenders-the-hockey-writers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/414538\/","title":{"rendered":"Philadelphia Flyers’ Christian Dvorak Extension Shows Contrast From Contenders – The Hockey Writers –"},"content":{"rendered":"

On Jan. 5, 2026<\/a>, the Philadelphia Flyers<\/a> extended center Christian Dvorak<\/a> to a five-year, $25.75 million contract. He\u2019ll be 30 years old in February, so the deal was a head-scratcher for some fans\u2014regression could come fast and hard.<\/p>\n

But the justification was sound enough. The team\u2019s 21\u201312\u20137 record was among the best in the league, and the free-agent market isn\u2019t exactly stacked down the middle<\/a>. Plus, Dvorak is on pace for career highs.<\/p>\n

That justification, though, has vanished in a flash. The Flyers followed the extension with a 5\u20132 win over the Anaheim Ducks, but have since dropped six in a row. Five of them were in regulation.<\/p>\n

Now, the Flyers are on the outside looking in for the playoffs, and prediction models no longer like their odds<\/a>. The timing couldn\u2019t have been worse.<\/p>\n

Whether the Flyers were right to extend Dvorak with five and a half months left to negotiate, the losing streak does change the perspective a bit. They\u2019re not in the playoffs anymore.<\/p>\n

This could have been avoided if the Flyers had taken notes from the team with the second-best points percentage in the NHL<\/a>. What have the Tampa Bay Lightning been up to?<\/p>\n

Lightning Have a Different Approach<\/p>\n

Just days after the Dvorak contract, it was reported by The Hockey News\u2018 Diandra Loux that the Lightning were going in the opposite direction with one of their key players. Take a look at general manager Julien BriesBois\u2019 statement below:<\/p>\n

Julien BriseBois said the #GoBolts<\/a> are going to wait on an extension for Raddysh. <\/p>\n

\u201cI think we’re going to wait, not because it’s going to be a life changing contract, but because you look at his play the first year with us, his play last year, his play at the start of season &\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2014 Diandra Loux (@Diandra_loux) January 8, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n

Darren Raddysh<\/a> is having an otherworldly season for the Lightning. He\u2019s tied for fifth in defensive point-scoring, with 12 goals and 29 assists in 40 games. The undrafted 29-year-old is on pace to shatter his career highs, and he\u2019s doing it while positively impacting both ends of the ice.<\/p>\n

Related: Flyers Must Alter Roster Usage to Avoid Long-Term Stagnation<\/a><\/p>\n

Many teams, especially if they were as good as Tampa Bay, would extend a player like this immediately. Sure, Raddysh is having an outlier campaign, but he ranks fifth in Wins Above Replacement (WAR)<\/a> among defenseman, per Hockey Stats\u2014that\u2019s Norris Trophy-caliber.<\/p>\n

Instead of getting antsy, the Lightning are taking it slow. They\u2019re letting his season play out instead of banking tens of millions of dollars on this 40-game sample size being legit.<\/p>\n

Flyers Need to Be More Careful Moving Forward<\/p>\n

Okay, so this isn\u2019t a one-for-one comparison. With the way he\u2019s playing, Raddysh could demand twice as much as Dvorak got. That makes the Flyers\u2019 decision less consequential.<\/p>\n

In my breakdown piece<\/a> for the Dvorak contract, I outlined that the worst-case scenario probably isn\u2019t a big deal. You can probably offload his salary for a draft pick, and if not, a buyout works.<\/p>\n

\"ChristianChristian Dvorak, Philadelphia Flyers (Amy Irvin<\/a> \/ The Hockey Writers)<\/p>\n

But the principle here is important. One team, and a contender at that, is being cautious, while the other has thrown caution to the wind. It may or may not be a coincidence that the team being cautious has a lot more success this millennium<\/a>.<\/p>\n

When it comes to long-term deals, it\u2019d be nice to see the Flyers be more careful. In a salary-cap world, enough regrettable contracts can hurt your chances of hoisting Lord Stanley. General manager Daniel Bri\u00e8re and his staff may want to take inspiration from a Cup-winning regime in the future.<\/p>\n

\"SUBSCRIBE<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t