Dan Vladar signed a two-year, $4.4 million contract with the Calgary Flames on Thursday. It has an average annual value of $2.2 million and begins next season.
The 25-year-old goalie made 26 saves in his only start this season, a 4-3 win against the Edmonton Oilers on Oct. 15. He was in the final season of a three-year contract he signed with the Boston Bruins on Aug. 23, 2020, and could have become a restricted free agent after the season.
“Obviously I’m super excited, but I’ve got to work even harder now,” Vladar told the Flames website. “I love this city, I love the fans, I love the organization. … It’s a dream come true.”
Vladar was acquired in a trade with the Boston Bruins on July 28, 2021, and was 13-6-2 with a 2.75 goals-against average, .906 save percentage and two shutouts in 23 games (19 starts) last season as the backup. to Jacob Markstrom.
“I think we’ve got something special going on here,” Vladar said. “I love the group. Being in the locker room with ‘Marky’, I really like the goalie coaches here. This is probably the best thing that could happen to me. Obviously, I’m super happy here, so I wanted to stay here as long as I could.”
Selected by Boston in the third round (No. 75) of the 2015 NHL Draft, Vladar is 16-8-3 with a 2.88 GAA, .902 save percentage and two shutouts in 29 games (25 starts) with the Bruins and Flames. He has played two Stanley Cup Playoff games.
Vladar is expected to back up Markstrom when the Flames (3-0-0) host the Buffalo Sabers on Thursday (9:30 pm ET; SN360, MSG-B, ESPN+, SN NOW).
“Every time I get the call, I’m trying to do my best,” Vladar said. “When I know when I’m not playing or we have practice, I’m doing everything I can to improve so I can show it in a game and give our team an even better chance to win than the week before. That’s my goal. Obviously, be a great teammate, be a great guy off the ice, support all the guys when I’m not playing and do my best.”
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