The Philadelphia Flyers made a measured statement on the opening day of NHL free agency that depth and flexibility are the priority. The organization signed five players—center Christian Dvorak, goaltender Dan Vladar, defensemen Noah Juulsen and Dennis Gilbert, and center Lane Pederson—with an emphasis on short-term contracts that preserve salary cap maneuverability.
Flyers General Manager Daniel Briere confirmed the team’s focus was on contract term rather than cost, stating publicly that players were willing to “bet on themselves” and short-term deals were more important than price.
Four of the five contracts are one-year deals. Dvorak signed a one-year deal at $5.4 million. Juulsen agreed to a one-year, $900,000 contract. Gilbert signed a one-year deal for $875,000. Pederson’s contract is a one-year, two-way deal worth $775,000 at the NHL level. Vladar’s contract is the only multi-year agreement, two years with an average annual value of $3.35 million. According to Briere, this term length was considered acceptable due to market conditions in goaltending this offseason.
Christian Dvorak, 29, is a two-way center who played 82 regular-season games in 2024–25 with the Montreal Canadiens, recording 12 goals and 21 assists for a total of 33 points. He also scored two goals in five games during Montreal’s first-round playoff loss to Washington. Dvorak has a career faceoff win percentage of 53.1 and has scored at least 12 goals in five NHL seasons. His career high is 18 goals, achieved in the 2019–20 season. He has also topped 30 points six times. In 534 career games, he has accrued 120 penalty minutes and has never taken more than 12 minor penalties in a single season.
Dvorak is primarily expected to play center for the Flyers under head coach Rick Tocchet. Briere noted that with Sean Couturier and Noah Cates as the only two established centers, and Trevor Zegras potentially shifting to the position, Dvorak will have more opportunity than he might have elsewhere. Dvorak previously played under Tocchet in Arizona and occasionally moved to left wing during his career, though he is expected to remain at center in Philadelphia. He also has experience on the power play, including stints at the netfront position, and contributes on the penalty kill.
Goaltender Dan Vladar, 26, joins the Flyers from the Calgary Flames. He is expected to compete for playing time alongside Samuel Ersson. Ivan Fedotov remains in the picture, and Aleksei Kolsov has one year left on his contract. Vladar played as backup to Dustin Wolf during the 2024–25 season. From March 1 through the end of the regular season, Vladar posted a 2.14 goals against average and a .920 save percentage over 393 minutes, winning each of his final four starts. Three of those wins came in must-win games for Calgary, which missed the Western Conference playoffs by a tiebreaker to the St. Louis Blues. Wolf played 1,080 minutes during the same stretch and finished with a 2.72 goals against average and a .904 save percentage.
Briere explained that Vladar expressed early interest in joining Philadelphia and competing for the starting role. Though the team acknowledged there was no “perfect goalie” available, they believe Vladar gives them a competitive option in net and has the potential to earn the number one job depending on his and others’ performances.
Defenseman Noah Juulsen, 28, signed a one-year, $900,000 deal. He played under Tocchet with the Vancouver Canucks. In 35 games last season, Juulsen was held scoreless and accumulated 21 penalty minutes. He shoots right-handed and is listed at 6-foot-2 and 201 pounds. He is likely to serve as the sixth or seventh defenseman and may get early ice time while Rasmus Ristolainen recovers from triceps surgery.
Dennis Gilbert, 29, agreed to a one-year, $875,000 contract. As a former player from the Buffalo Sabres and Ottawa Senators during the 2024–25 season, Gilbert is a left-shot defenseman who brings physicality and depth to the blue line. He is listed at 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds.
Lane Pederson, 27, signed a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000 at the NHL level. He has appeared in 71 NHL games across four teams and has primarily played in the AHL.
As of early July, none of these signings have affected Philadelphia’s betting odds at major sportsbooks. The Flyers’ Stanley Cup odds remain at approximately +10000, and their odds to win the Eastern Conference are around +5000. Sportsbooks have not adjusted moneylines, puck lines, or player props in response to the additions of Dvorak or Vladar. No player-specific goal, assist, or ice-time prop bets have been introduced following these signings. However, some betting analysts have mentioned that Vladar’s strong finish to the 2024–25 season could eventually influence expectations in goaltending matchups if he wins the starting job.