Flames sign Dan Vladar to two-year extension ($2.2 million AAV)

The Calgary Flames have their goaltending tandem locked up through the 2024-25 season. The club announced on Thursday that they’ve signed backup netminder Dan Vladar to a two-year extension worth $2.2 million per season.

Vladar’s extension runs through the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons. We’re told it’s $2.2 million in salary in each of the two seasons, a big raise from the current league-minimum ($750,000) cap hit deal he’s currently on. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent upon expiry.

Vladar, 25, is a product of Prague, Czech Republic, and joined the Flames in a trade from the Boston Bruins during the 2021 off-season. He impressed as Jacob Markstrom’s backup last season, and had a superb pre-season performance this fall as well. He and Markstrom combined to finish third in the NHL for fewest goals allowed last season.

Vladar’s extension probably slows Dustin Wolf’s ascension to the NHL level, or at least gives the Flames the ability to bring Wolf along slowly – and make it so that if Wolf wants an NHL gig, he’s going to have to perform well enough to force the Flames to make a move. Goaltending is seen as a position of strength for the Flames, and this deal signifies that, at least for the next few seasons, the Flames want to maintain as much organizational depth as the cap system will allow them to.