January 06, 2026
Bob Frid/Imagn Images
Christian Dvorak's contract extension will keep him in Philly through 2031.
Christian Dvorak was a different kind of signing for the Flyers during a different kind of summer.
He was a free-agent center inked to a one-year deal that, while a bit pricey at $5.4 million, looked to be another veteran asset to bring experience to a young locker room and then get flipped to a contender for more draft picks or a prospect come trade deadline time.
But that was the assumption from the outside, for fans who had gotten accustomed to established NHL names coming into Philadelphia for just a brief stay.
Flyers general manager Danny Brière never actually spoke about Dvorak that way, though. He always talked like the 29-year-old was going to be here for the full season, like he was going to be a part of the team's push into its next phase and maybe into the playoffs while they were at it.
Now he's staying around for much longer.
The Flyers signed Dvorak to a five-year, $25.75 million contract extension on Monday night, which would keep him in Philadelphia through 2031 at a $5.15 million annual cap hit starting with next season.
At face value, that's some serious sticker shock to many. Dvorak has been a solid center for the Flyers, who have been hurting down the middle for a while, but even with the salary cap increasing over the next few years, that price tag seems like a lot for a forward who has never gone above 40 points during his decade-long NHL career so far – and doubly so when you take into account that he'll be 35 by the time the contract runs out.
But there does seem to be some logic, and a calculated risk taken here, and so far into Brière's tenure as GM, he's been pretty good at those (see Trevor Zegras).
Christian Dvorak's two-way game has been vital to the Flyers' improved results so far this season.
Right now, Dvorak is the Flyers' by-committee top-line center, has clear chemistry with Zegras on his wing as a forward duo, and is playing some of his best hockey ever with 25 points (9 goals, 16 assists) and a plus-8 rating through 39 games.
He's been highly dependable. He's given the Flyers a good amount of offense, takes care of the puck across the entire rink, and can hold his own on the penalty kill.
This contract extension wasn't offered and agreed to on the belief that Dvorak is a star or will suddenly become one, but rather that he can maintain this form or at least something close to it as the Flyers continue forward and, presumably, get better.
He's not going to be the Flyers' top-line center permanently. The reality is he can't be on any team that one day hopes to contend for the Stanley Cup.
But he can stay steady and buy time for center prospects like Jack Nesbitt, Jett Luchanko, and Jack Berglund to come along, then slide down the lineup as needed once they do finally arrive – or maybe, for if and when someone else gets brought in from the outside.
This deal can work for now and for the future that the Flyers have been trying to slowly but surely build toward for the past few years. And in the bigger picture, it's a checkpoint along that road.
The rebuild isn't done. It isn't all or nothing for a Cup now. Make no mistake about that. The Philadelphia Flyers still have a long, long way to go.
But Dvorak's re-signing is another mark of progress, though it might not immediately seem that way outside the building.
It's a show that the Flyers are past being annual trade deadline sellers, that they're growing more certain about what they have on the ice and in the locker room, and that the team can compete for a bit more with a front office that is now ready to reward them for it.
You play well, you stick around now. You help steer the ship.
So Dvorak stays in the picture.
"Who knows what happens down the future," head coach Rick Tocchet said Tuesday of Dvorak's deal. "But it's another strong asset in your room, whatever you do with it. We plan on Dvo being here for five years, playing really well for us. That's how you look at it."
"We're still a pretty young team, so I think we're only gonna get better," Dvorak said. "We got a lot of guys in the pipeline, too. But there's just so much more experience we have here, even this season, going through a playoff push and whatnot. It's only gonna help us. I think that's only gonna make us better."
SIGN UP HERE to receive the PhillyVoice Sports newsletter
Follow Nick on Twitter: @itssnick
Follow Nick on Bluesky: @itssnick
Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice Sports
