Top Takeaways From Flyers’ Introductory Pressers

The obvious spot for Zegras to play is down the middle alongside Michkov, who’s looking to build off a quality rookie season. His exact role hasn’t been determined yet and will likely fluctuate somewhat, of course. Still, Zegras discussed both topics right away.

“I’ve played center my whole career up until two seasons ago and I’ve always felt more comfortable there. I think there are areas that I need to work on, whether it’s the faceoff circle, below the goal-line, or in front of the net in the d-zone,” Zegras said. Then, when asked about Michkov, he said, “From all the clips and highlights you see, he seems like a really smart, skilled forward with a lot of creativity and a really good nose for the net. I think there’s a ton of guys on that roster that are amazing hockey players.”

But perhaps the biggest takeaway is how ready Zegras seems for a fresh start. There had been trade rumors surrounding him ever since his numbers dropped and injuries derailed him in the 2023-24 season.

“It would be hard for me to say that it didn’t,” Zegras said about those rumblings after a big sigh and a bit of a smile when the question was being asked. “I guess for the first time in my life and my career it started coming up, because it’s never really happened before, you don’t really know how to handle it… It definitely gets your head spinning a bit, but definitely not an excuse or anything like that.”

“I’m excited as heck for a new start in Philadelphia.”

Christian Dvorak

Christian Dvorak broke into the league in 2016-17 with the Arizona Coyotes, the finale of head coach Dave Tippett’s eight-season run, which produced the team’s most competitive stretch: a three-year playoff streak from 2010-12 that culminated in a Western Conference Final berth in 2012. But with only a year under him, the first NHL head coach that Dvorak got used to playing for was none other than Rick Tocchet.

There has been a fair amount of talk about the possibility that Dvorak could benefit from Tocchet’s tutelage, just as he did at the beginning of his career. Those dreams are fair but also somewhat overblown. For starters, Dvorak never dramatically exceeded the 15-goal, 33-point output from his rookie season under Tippett. His career-high 18 goals and 38 points were under Tocchett in the 2019-20 season, when he played eight fewer games due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but he did average about an extra minute of ice time. Numbers don’t always tell the whole story, though, and Dvorak spoke highly of Tocchet on the first question he was asked.

“That certainly helps, being familiar with Tocc and the way he coaches — he helped me out a lot in Arizona, as a young guy,” Dvorak said in his first media session on July 10 after signing when free agency opened on the first day of the month. “Really young team there too, and he was really good with us, and I know he’s gonna be great with the young guys here in Philly.”

When asked a follow-up question on Tocchet, Dvorak continued, “He’s big on communication, which is huge. He has an open-door policy, which is nice… always a well-structured coach, everyone knows where they need to be, and offensively, he gives you some freedom, too.”

Of course, offense isn’t everything, especially for a defensively sound player like Dvorak, who brings a lot of value in the faceoff dot and the penalty kill. At minimum, Dvorak is a nice replacement for Ryan Poehling, who produced nearly the same stat line as Dvorak despite missing 14 games.

However, considering Dvorak is making $3.6 million more than Poehling (which is partially due to the inflated prices across free agency due to the rising cap), the Flyers are probably hoping he’s at least a moderate upgrade. Dvorak said that Tocchett hasn’t discussed a specific line he’ll be playing on but reiterated that the team is thin down the middle. If Zegras and Dvorak both stick at center, that would seem to box Luchanko out of an NHL role with Sean Couturier also in the picture.

Dvorak didn’t provide specifics on other available options, but stated that there was interest from other teams. It seems likely Dvorak traded term for average annual value, and he will see if he can find a better match between them next summer.

Dan Vladař

Dan Vladař first broke into the NHL in 2020-21, right when Linus Ullmark was proving himself as a top-flight goaltender and Jeremy Swayman was ready to emerge as one as well. He was quickly traded to the Calgary Flames. But with Jacob Markstrom as the incumbent starter for his first three seasons, only to be replaced by Calder Trophy winner Dustin Wolf last season, there’s never been much opportunity for Vladař to be more than a backup.

Granted, Vladař’s level of play hasn’t always demanded a greater workload. In his four seasons with the Flames, he ranked 36th, 45th, 63rd, and 37th among NHL goaltenders in save percentage (SV%) and 36th, 52nd, 63rd, and 36th by Moneypuck.com’s goals saved above expected model. The middle seasons of his four-year term in Calgary were rough, but in his first and final seasons with the Flames, Vladar was sound enough to be a legitimate tandem goaltender. And he’ll have the opportunity to be in that role with the Flyers.

“One-hundred percent,” Vladař said on July 11 when asked if he felt capable of taking on a bigger role after a career-high 29 starts last season (his previous high was 23). “I wasn’t satisfied with my role in Calgary, and I want to keep moving forward, and I felt like Philly was the best path for me going forward. I’m 100% confident I have a lot more in me.”

If you’re looking for optimism, those rough numbers can at least be partially explained by a hip injury that cut his season short and required surgery. Last fall, Vladař said he had been dealing with pain in his right side for “the last two seasons.” He spoke a different tune a couple of days ago, saying he felt more physically comfortable by the end of last season. His play supports that claim; Vladar had a .890 SV% before Jan. 1 and a .910 SV% after the new year.

Vladař got some first-hand advice on playing in Philadelphia from his countryman, Jakub Voracek, the Flyers’ second-leading scorer of the 2010s. Fellow former Czech Flyers goaltenders Michal Neuvirth and Petr Mrazek helped give Vladař insight into Flyers’ goalie coach Kim Dillabaugh. Ultimately, Philadelphia’s willingness to issue Vladař a two-year contract won him over. Though general manager Daniel Brière admitted on July 1 that the Flyers didn’t prefer to do so, they eventually decided to commit. Vladař confirmed that it was a key factor he was looking for on the open market.

“I just didn’t want to go anywhere for a year, going into a new organization, new city, and basically battling for a contract right away. I think that as a goalie, it’s really important that you have some sort of time to let yourself settle in and then let yourself battle more,” Vladař said. “Two years are perfect for me.”

Other Potential Newcomers

Barring injury, all three of these players will dress for the Flyers on opening night, although Vladař will likely back up Ersson on game one. However, some other new faces will be competing for a roster spot. The Flyers made three other signings beyond Dvorak and Vladař on July 1, all for less than $1 million.

If Rasmus Ristolainen isn’t ready for the start of the season after undergoing surgery on his right triceps in March, one of Noah Juulsen and Dennis Gilbert will almost certainly make the Flyers, if not both. Juulsen is a familiar face for Tocchet, who coached him for nearly 100 games with the Vancouver Canucks. Gilbert is a former teammate of Vladař’s in Calgary before splitting last season with the Ottawa Senators and Buffalo Sabres. Both players are 28-year-old NHL tweeners who will likely clear waivers if needed. They’ll be battling with some of the Flyers’ young defensemen, primarily Emil Andrae, for a spot on the team.

Up front, the Flyers added another member of the 2020-21 Coyotes team in depth forward Lane Pederson. You can never have too many right-handed centermen, but given that Pederson hasn’t played in the NHL since 2022-23, his odds are a bit longer. If he defies them, this would be the third team he’s played for under Tocchet, as his final game as a 2022-23 Canuck was Tocchet’s first after taking over for Bruce Boudreau.