Dan Vladar is expected to be back in net for the Philadelphia Flyers’ 2026-27 season opener against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday night, a massive relief after a preseason riddled with injuries. This isn’t just a regular season opener either, folks. Remember how Vladar absolutely stonewalled the Penguins in the playoffs, racking up two shutouts, including the Game 6 clincher? Yeah, that guy. His return is a huge boost, especially with the Flyers limping out of their shortened preseason slate.
Vladar’s Return Looks Promising, But It’s Not 100%
Flyers’ GM Danny Briere sounds pretty confident, saying on Saturday that Vladar looks “very promising” and “should be ready for Game 1.” Briere even hinted Vladar “probably could’ve played” a regular season game that night, but they wisely played it safe to get him as close to 100% as possible. Coach Rick Tocchet backed that up Sunday, admitting he wouldn’t say Vladar is at 100%, but he’s “very hopeful.” Tocchet saw him make it through a “spirited practice” and said he “looked good.” Unless something totally wild goes down in the next couple of days, it’d be shocking not to see Vladar between the pipes against the Penguins. This dude is key, and getting him back for the rivalry game is everything for opening night momentum.
A 1A/1B Goalie Tandem is About to Get Tested BIG Time
The good news about Vladar’s return comes with a caveat: the Flyers’ early schedule is an absolute gauntlet. We’re talking a back-to-back, three games in four nights, and four games in just six nights to kick off the season. That means Joseph Woll is going to get thrown into the fire early, which Tocchet confirmed. “Right away, Woll’s getting in there. It could be two and two,” Tocchet said, highlighting that acquiring Woll was specifically for this kind of workload. Woll showed out in the preseason, snagging a shutout against the Bruins in his first full game as a Flyer. Sure, Boston didn’t roll out their A-list, but a shutout is a shutout, and Woll had to make some great saves. Tocchet summed it up perfectly, saying having Woll step up provides a “comfort level that you got two basically 1A’s and 1B’s.” Having two goalies who’ve started before is huge, because both are considered injury-prone, which could be a nightmare if one goes down. Their third option, Aleksei Kolosov, played himself right off the roster with a “putrid performance” on Saturday and got loaned to the AHL.
The Flyers kick off their season Wednesday against the Penguins. Expect Vladar and Woll to both see action early and often. It’s gonna be a brutal test for this goalie tandem right out of the gate, but if they can weather this early storm, it sets a strong tone for the season. Let’s see if they’re ready for it!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Broad Street Hockey.
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