What happened: The Philadelphia Flyers have signed goaltender Dan Vladar to a five-year contract worth $27.5 million. The deal carries an annual average value of $5.5 million and runs through the term as free agency opens for the 2026-27 season.

Why it matters: The contract gives Philadelphia cost-certainty in net at a $5.5 million cap hit, a significant commitment for a goaltender the team had been closing in on for weeks. Locking up the position early in the offseason removes one of the club's key summer questions and shapes how it allocates the rest of its cap space heading into 2026-27.

What to watch: Watch how the Flyers structure the rest of their crease and cap sheet around the $5.5 million commitment as free agency continues.