Flyers’ Dan Vladar Exits Game With Upper-Body Injury

In addition to losing to the Boston Bruins in last night’s preseason matchup, the Philadelphia Flyers are facing an even greater setback. Partway into the first period, netminder Daniel Vladař had to exit (video link) the game because of an upper-body injury.

Throughout the sequence, it isn’t obvious how Vladař suffered the injury. After a puck was sent toward the net, Vladař reached for it, but Bruins forward Tanner Jeannot knocked it loose. Vladař immediately dropped his stick and appeared to be nursing his blocker hand even before he left the ice. Michael Eyssimont scored via a tip-in just a few seconds later.

Any long-term injury to Vladař would significantly harm Philadelphia’s early-season chances. Hopefully, for the Flyers’ sake, it’s only a short-term injury if Vladař has to miss any time at all. Last season, Vladař was phenomenal in his first season with the Flyers.

He finished the 2025-26 campaign with a 29-14-7 record in 51 starts with a .906 SV% and 2.42 GAA, earning Hart and Vezina Trophy votes at season’s end. It’s even more impressive considering Vladař handled a heavier workload than he ever has throughout his six-year career. In his final two years with the Calgary Flames, Vladař had only 48 appearances. Philadelphia signed Vladař to a five-year, $27.5MM ($5.5MM AAV) extension on his first day of eligibility earlier this summer.

Still, if Vladař faces an extended absence, the Flyers do have a silver lining from their offseason work. Two days after the Carolina Hurricanes lifted the Stanley Cup, Philadelphia acquired Joseph Woll in a multi-player trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Woll, 28, has had an up-and-down career to this point, but he’s far better insurance between the pipes than the Flyers have had recently. He finished last season with a 15-16-7 record in 39 games with an .898 SV% and 3.34 GAA.