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Vezina Trophy: Vladar finishes 6th
Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar finished sixth in the voting for the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goalie in 2025-26. Vladar received two second-place votes and three votes for third place. Tampa’s Andrei Vasilevskiy won the award, followed by Ilya Sorokin and Jeremy Swayman. Overall, eight netminders received at least one top-three vote.
The Vezina vote is unique among NHL awards in that it’s chosen by the league’s general managers. Vasilevskiy was named a top-three finisher on 28 of the 32 ballots. He garnered 17 first-place votes.
Historically, three Flyers goaltenders have won the Vezina: Bernie Parent (1973-74 and 1974-75), Pelle Lindbergh (1984-85), and Ron Hextall (1986-87). Additionally, Wayne Stephenson (3rd, 1975-76), Bob Froese (2nd, 1984-85) and Roman Cechmanek (2nd, 2000-01) finished second or third for the award.
Prospect Watch: Zavragin traded in KHL
Flyers goatending prospect Yegor Zavragin has been traded within the KHL. SKA St. Petersburg dealt the 20-year-old netminder to Metallurg Magnitogorsk. The Flyers drafted Zavragin in the third round (87th overall) of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.
Zavragin was already unlikely to come over to North America for the 2026-27 season. The question in whether he comes over for 2027-28 or 2028-29. Even if his KHL contract is extended an entry season, something could be worked out. For example, if he does not make the NHL roster, he could be loaned back to Metallurg to play the 2027-28 season.
Zavragin split the 2025-26 season between the KHL and VHL (minor league) levels plus one junior (MHL) start.
Potential Flyers trade target: Matty Beniers
Detroit Red Wings star Dylan Larkin dominated the news on Thursday with widespread reports he’s requested a trade from the Detroit Red Wings.
If Larkin is willing to waive his no-trade clause to come to Philadelphia, I’d think general manager Daniel Briere will try his best to make something happen. However, Larkin will have many teams interested. Simultaneously, the skilled and speedy center — who turns 30 at the end of July — is not an easy player on whom to set a fair trade value. He’s a proven NHL star but by no means a superstar or a franchise player.
Meanwhile, Briere may set his sights on a younger player in the trade market. We discussed Mason McTavish yesterday. Today, we’ll look at Matty Beniers of the Seatle Kraken.
Beniers is signed to a seven-year, $49.99 million contract that runs through 2030-31. The deal carries an Average Annual Value (AAV), of $7.14 million. . Drafted 2nd overall by the Seattle Kraken in 2021, Beniers has all the tools to become a franchise player. However, the 23-year-old has yet to truly soar to the next level in his offensive development.
The player has yet to attain his first 25-goal or 60-point season in the NHL. Part of the reason: the Kraken systems focus on keeping the score low and scratching out wins that way. If he had more dynamic talent around him, Beniers is capable of easily surpassing his career highs to date. Even in a worst-case scenerio, he’s a well-rounded young center.
The bigger question: While Beniers is not untouchable in a trade, how likely is it that he gets moved. I’d argue that it’s still fairly unlikely. McTavish is logically the more “realistic trade” candidate of the two. However, if it were my decision to make, I’d go north of my maximum McTavish offer if Beniers was actually up for discussion. Those “he’s available of some team blows us away scenarios” almost never come to fruition.
But if the question is “would Philly have interest?” the answer is certainly yes.
Flyers Alumni Charity Classic: Walk/Run/Ride
The annual Flyers Alumni Charity Classic weekend will be held from June 13 to 15, 2026: Three events, three locations over three days. On Friday, June 13, there is a pickleball tournament at Bounce Pickle bleball in Malvern, PA. The next day is the Walk/Run Ride in Conshohocken, PA. The three-day whirlwind concludes with the now sold-out Alumni Golf tournament at Dupont Country Club in Malvern, PA.
Charity Classic Weekend provides an exclusive opportunity to have a great time alongside Flyers Alumni from every generation of team history. Alumni taking part in some — or all — of the events include Hockey of Famers such as as Mark Howe and Mark Recchi, Flyers Hall of Fame members like Rick Tocchet, John LeClair, Brian Propp the Watson brothers and other fan favorites like the Sutter twins, Brian Boucher, Scott Hartnell, Bill Clement and many more.
Flyers Draft Party, Rookie Game
The Flyers will once again hold their NHL Draft headquarters at the Hard Rock Hotel in Atlantic City. Correspondingly, the organization will hold a public Draft part at Hard Rock on June 26 from 6:30 to 10:00 p.m. EDT. The Flyers currently hold the 21st overall pick of the first round.
The night includes a first-round watch party. Later in the night, there will be a live musical performance (artist TBA). Current Flyers management, Alumni, Gritty, the Flyers Ice Team and More will also make appearances during the night. Additionally, attendees will have the opportunity to enter raffles to win autographed Flyers and musician memorabilia.
Come September 12 and 13, the Flyers prospects will play their annual Rookie Game series against the New York Rangers prospects at the PPL Center in Allentown.
Flyers Daily: First-line center market
Jason Myrtetus weighs in with his thoughts on the first-line center marketplace this offseason. He also continues his Exit Day one-on-one interview series: this time with veteran checking winger Garnet Hathaway.
Team Toyota Draft Spotlight: Malte Gustafsson
In Thursday’s Team Toyota Draft Spotlight, we looked at USHL center Jack Hextall. Yesterday, the focus shifted to BU center Tynan Lawrence. Now we’ll shift to one of the candidates in a defenseman-heavy projected first-round crop: Swedish blueliner Malte Gustafsson.
Gustafsson was one of the fastest-rising Draft candidate names in the second half of the 2025-26 season. At age 17, he did not look to be over his head in 27 SHL games with HV71.
He is not necessarily an offensive-minded blueliner. However, Gustafsson has three outstanding traits that appeal to scouts: size (6-foot-4, 203 pound), skating and smarts. He makes a reliable first pass and is a savvy defender for such a young player.
The pundit consensus has Gustafsson in the top-half to middle of the first round. Could he slide to the Flyers at 21st overall? It’s not impossible. It only takes one player to be higher on a given team’s list to bypass him. That is how some players unexpectedly slip numerous spots. However, it’s more likely that Gustafsson is off the board before the Flyers pick at 21st overall.
Cold War in Philly: Upcoming Showings
Each of the first four showings of the Cold War in Philly documentary have sold out, including the upcoming June 8 showing in Doylestown. Tickets remain for the following four screenings.
- June 9th: The Ambler Theater (Ambler, PA) — Post-screening Q&A moderated by Sam Carchidi with Flyers Hall of Fame brothers Joe and Jimmy Watson. Tickets are $13.50. Click here.
- June 16th: Newtown Theater (Newtown, PA) — Post screening Q&A with Joe Amodei and Bill Meltzer. Tickets are $14. Click here.
- June 18th: Bryn Mawr Film Institute (Bryn Mawr, PA) — Post-screening Q&A moderated by Sam Carchidi with Joe Amodei, Joe and Jimmy Watson. Tickets are $16.25. Click here.
- June 25th: White Rabbit Theater (Phoenixville, PA) — Post-screening Q&A moderated by Sam Carchidi with Joe Amodei, Joe and Jimmy Watson. Tickets are $18 or $20. Click here.
Collectors Corner: Clarke, Hextall and Vladar
Hall of Fame legend Bob Clarke is doing a private signing event at Carl’s Cards and Collectibles in Havertown, PA. Items for Clarke to sign are due by June 24. Clarke will be in the store that day to sign the items. For more info, click here.
Meanwhile, Flyers Hall of Fame goaltender and former general manager Ron Hextall is doing his own private signing for Carl’s on June 29. For info, click here.
Additionally, current Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar will do an open-to-the-public (tickets requires) in-store signing at Carl’s on Saturday, August 29. Autographs are $49 each. Photo ops are $39 each. Inscriptions are $20 each. For info, click here.
Guffaw Cigars
Five-time NHL All-Star and Flyers Hall of Fame inductee Brian Propp introduced his own line of top-quality hand-crafted Dominican cigars . The Guffaw Cigar collection is highly rated for its balanced boldness, sophistication and premium-aged tobacco. Brian himself is a longtime cigar aficionado. He wanted his signature line to reflect the qualities he values in a cigar.
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