Flyers Sign Vladař, Foerster to Long-Term Extensions

July 1 is a big day for NHL teams to sign expensive contracts they often regret. The Philadelphia Flyers hope that doubling down on what they have will have the opposite effect. A long-rumored extension for Dan Vladař was sealed at noon ET, the minute the 28-year-old was eligible for an extension with one season left on the two-year, $6.7 million contract he signed last summer.

But it didn’t take long to reveal general manager Daniel Brière had more up his sleeve, making an even bigger commitment to one of the team’s young forwards.

Like Vladař, Tyson Foerster has one year left on his contract, a two-year, $7.5 million deal. At just 24 years old, the 2020 first-round pick is now under team control for longer than any other Flyer, and at a higher cap hit than everyone except Travis Konecny (for now, with restricted free agent Trevor Zegras set to exceed that number and Jamie Drysdale likely coming close). For better or for worse, this day will be a defining one of Brière’s tenure and the Flyers’ future.

Vladař Gets Security

Just a year ago, Brière lamented having to give Vladař a second year. Now, the Flyers are giving their biggest contract to a goaltender since the ill-fated nine-year, $51 million pact with Ilya Bryzgalov that ended in a compliance buyout after year two.

This deal has been expected for a while, so there’s been plenty of time to debate this contract’s merits. Goaltending is an unpredictable position, and this was only Vladař’s second season with a save percentage over .900 (and first since 2021-22). Look at Darcy Kuemper: from third in Vezina Trophy voting in 2024-25 to 47th out of 66 goalies in goals saved above expected in 2025-26, per MoneyPuck.com.

It’s understandable to commit long-term to the 2025-26 version of Vladař, who answered every question, from consistency to durability to playoff performance. He’s also an essential part of the team’s chemistry, perhaps more so than most goalies, especially those in their first season with a team. But that may not be the player the Flyers get, and committing to a player through their age 34 season is always a risk.

The deal also gives Vladař some control over his future, especially early on. A full no-movement clause covers the first two seasons, followed by decreasing trade protection in the final three seasons. Joseph Woll is a strong and affordable number two goalie for the next two seasons, and perhaps a prospect like Yegor Zavragin is ready to take over after that. If it works, it could be a similar succession plan as the New York Islanders with Semyon Varlamov ceding the starter’s net to Ilya Sorokin while remaining his backup.

Flyers Bet on Foerster

Foerster is the third winger Brière has given an eight-year contract to. First was Konecny at an $8.75 million cap hit, which began last season and carries a no-movement clause. Owen Tippett is already two seasons into his big deal with a $6.2 million cap hit. He has a 10-team no-move clause until the contract’s final season.

We don’t know the extent of the protection in Foerster’s contract, which carries a $7.1 million cap hit (it’s a fair bet that there will be at least some). By the numbers, this is one of the better moves Brière has made in his three-plus years running the team. AFP Analytics projected a long-term extension of five years at about $7.85 million; this deal runs three years longer and about $0.75 million cheaper per season.

Foerster has two incredibly high-end traits: goal-scoring and defense. He earned a Selke Trophy vote in his first full NHL season in 2023-24 and was flirting with a 40-goal pace through 21 games last season before suffering a long-term injury. Foerster was able to return down the stretch, and while he understandably ran out of gas, he did offer a brief second wind with four goals in his first five games back, then scored the shootout winner to end Philadelphia’s six-year playoff drought.

The 24-year-old is a bit of a unicorn in his skill set, but there’s a question about how dominant he can be. Foerster’s playmaking isn’t spectacular, and its uncertain whether he can put up the point totals expected of a high-end first-liner. Between the arm ailment this season and an elbow injury at the 2025 World Championships, he has an injury history, although nothing that’s expected to affect him going forward.

The Flyers now have over $6 million committed to wingers, with defenseman Travis Sanheim the only player in the team’s top five highest-paid players at a different position (and he makes just $0.05 more than Tippett). That’s not typically how championship teams are built, although the Flyers appear to be operating under the assumption that Trevor Zegras can stick at center, and he’ll crush this group once he signs his next contract.

None of the aforementioned wingers are Matvei Michkov, who is technically eligible for an extension now but will almost certainly play out the last season of his entry-level contract, given the highs and lows of his young career. Some will wonder if the Foerster deal makes trading him more likely, but earmarking $6.2 million for a third-line winger isn’t as crazy as it once was and will only become more reasonable, so Tippett sliding to that role if Michkov ascends is reasonable.

Next Orders of Business

Brière still has four restricted free agents to sign, with Zegras and Drysdale the only major negotiations. The Flyers haven’t added anyone in free agency, but they aren’t sitting on their hands either.

There’s also the trade front, of course, with Zack Werenski’s decision to nix a trade to the Dallas Stars keeping him at the top of the market. Perhaps there will be more to talk about for the Flyers before long, but this is already a big day for the Orange and Black.