The Philadelphia Flyers entered their 2025–26 campaign with an open mind when it came to goaltending. After a strong preseason, their opening night starter was Dan Vladař, a free-agent pickup on July 1. But in Game 2, they gave the reins to Samuel Ersson, who has had 100 appearances since 2023–24.
The Flyers repeated the same process for their next two contests, but now, they seem to have settled on their goalie. Vladař has blown the team away, eyeing his third consecutive start. He’s helping the Orange and Black reach new heights.
Analyzing Vladař’s Performance Thus Far
Last season, the Flyers had the worst team save percentage of the 21st century, according to QuantHockey. Despite having terrific defensive metrics, they weren’t much better in 2023–24, narrowly missing the playoffs as a result. With an almost entirely different coaching staff and Vladař commanding the crease, things have changed drastically.
Related: 3 Flyers Hot Takes for 2025–26
A more stable defensive scheme and Vladař’s excellence have the team winning games. Through four contests, he has allowed two or fewer goals in each of them. He was particularly impressive against the Florida Panthers, stopping 56 of the 60 shots he saw (93.33%) in two games.
“Reliable” is the best word for Vladař’s play this season. When the Flyers have needed a save, he has made it. Mistakes are kept to a minimum, and once in a while, he’ll make a game-changing stop. This is a direct contrast from the team’s goaltending over their previous two seasons—they never got the big save. Seemingly, every puck that had a chance of going in did just that.
Again, that can partially be blamed on the Flyers’ system. Under new head coach Rick Tocchet, the defensemen seem more active and less concerned about blocking every piece of rubber that comes their way. Vladař’s confidence and the defense’s new swagger are carrying the Orange and Black to wins versus quality opponents.
Flyers’ York-Sanheim Pairing Has Taken a Step
Following the trade of Ivan Provorov in the 2023 offseason, defensemen Cam York and Travis Sanheim were elevated to a full-time, top-pairing role. Due to the flawed goaltending and overall defensive structure discussed above, the first two seasons of their partnership didn’t go so well.
In 2023–24, York and Sanheim had a 41.30% goal share at 5-on-5. Among the 58 pairings with at least 500 minutes of ice time, that was the second-worst in the sample, only behind Kyle Burroughs and Mario Ferraro of the San Jose Sharks. The Flyers’ duo’s expected goal share sat at a reasonable 49.81%, but an on-ice save percentage of just .885 did them in.
Last season, it was the same story. Their 42.67% goal share ranked sixth-worst out of 62 pairings, even with a strong 53.40% expected goal share. Goaltending, again, was the culprit: a .883 on-ice save percentage.
This time around, they’re soaring. Their 66.67% goal share and 63.88% expected goal share are fantastic marks, making them one of the more effective defensive pairs in the NHL. But with a .923 on-ice save percentage, is it sustainable?
Is the Flyers’ Play Sustainable?
Among pairings with 45 or more minutes of ice time this season, that .923 total is actually right around average—the 52nd percentile. Previously, York and Sanheim were dealing with historically unreliable numbers between the pipes. Average now seems elite.
This new coaching staff has York and Sanheim playing better hockey for their goaltenders, no doubt, but it puts Vladař’s performance into context. He has key guys playing the best hockey of their lives.
However, we’ve been looking at team save percentage, which is sustainable (17th in the NHL in all situations). Vladař’s individual .929 save percentage is not. Winnipeg Jets netminder Connor Hellebuyck took home the Hart Trophy last June with worse numbers, for reference. The 28-year-old has kept the Flyers in every game, but that won’t continue to be the case.
On the flip side, Ersson is on somewhat of an unsustainable run himself. With a .849 save percentage, he’ll regress upward. Perhaps he can start stealing some games, too.
Ultimately, the Flyers don’t need Vladař to be in the Vezina Trophy race. They just need him and Ersson to keep them in tight affairs—so far, so good. If it continues, presumably led by “Darth Vladař,” a postseason appearance for the first time in five seasons isn’t such a lofty goal.
Stats courtesy of Natural Stat Trick
