Dan Vladar was terrific between the pipes for the Philadelphia Flyers in 2025-26, establishing himself as the bona fide No. 1 option in the City of Brotherly Love.

But the 29-year-old suffered a concerning injury during Tuesday night’s 5-1 preseason loss to the Boston Bruins. Vladar exited the contest with an upper-body injury after reaching for a puck and dropping his stick.

The Czech netminder appeared to be favoring his blocker hand as he left the ice.

Dan Vladar exits the Flyers’ second preseason game with an injury. pic.twitter.com/gFl4VheXIb

— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) September 22, 2026

Fortunately for Flyers fans, head coach Rick Tocchet said Vladar is day-to-day and believes the team “dodged a bullet,” according to Philadelphia reporter Charlie O’Connor.

“Tocchet clarified that he wasn't willing to guarantee that Vladar would be ready for the season opener next Wednesday,” O’Connor reported. “But it doesn't seem like an extended absence is in the cards.”

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If that is indeed the case, the Flyers avoided a major setback involving their starting goaltender. Vladar was excellent in his first season with the franchise, finishing 2025-26 with a 29-14-7 record in 51 starts while posting a .906 save percentage and 2.42 goals-against average.

He received both Hart and Vezina Trophy votes after shouldering a heavier workload than he had in any previous NHL season.

Vladar appeared in 50 games combined over his final two years with the Calgary Flames. He followed up his excellent campaign by signing a five-year, $27.5 million extension with Philadelphia on July 1 that begins in 2027-28 and will keep him with the Flyers through 2031-32.

Behind Vladar is Joseph Woll, whom Philadelphia acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs in June.

If Vladar isn’t ready for the Flyers' Sept. 30 season opener against the Pittsburgh Penguins — the same team he helped defeat in Round 1 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs — Woll could get the start. He finished 2025-26 with a 15-16-7 record in 39 games, posting a .899 save percentage and 3.34 goals-against average.

The Flyers have two exhibition contests remaining; they host the Bruins on Thursday and the Washington Capitals on Saturday.