Earlier today, Frank Seravalli tweeted (see below) that the Colorado Avalanche may be dipping into the goalie market. With last season’s backup, Pavel Francouz, still recovering from injury, the Avs might be looking to bring in second string support for starter Alexandar Georgiev. Enter: Dan Vladar. Could this be the opportunity Conroy needs to get a reasonable return for Vladar, thereby creating space for NHL-ready goaltending prospect Dustin Wolf?
#Avs appear to be examining options on the goalie market. Sounds like Pavel Francouz has not completely recovered from his offseason adductor surgery and there is concern he will miss some time.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) September 14, 2023
Francouz made just 16 starts for the Avalanche last season.@DailyFaceoff
While Vladar’s save percentage over the last two seasons is not as impressive as Francouz’s, he’s proven he is an NHL caliber goaltender who can play very well when given the opportunity.
As a Flame, Vladar started 19 games in 2021/22, tallying 13 wins and recording a save percentage of .906. Last season, Calgary’s backup started 23 games for 14 wins and an .895 SV%.
Over those same two seasons with the Avs, Francouz started 18 in 2021/22 for 15 wins with a .916 SV%. In 2022/23, Francouz won only 8 of his 16 starts with a .915 SV%.
In terms of contracts, Vladar is slightly more expensive ($2.2M AAV versus Francouz’s $2.0M). Vladar also has one more year remaining on his contract than his injured counterpart in Colorado, with deals expiring at the end of the 2024/25 and 2023/24 season, respectively.
However, at 26 years old, Vladar is significantly younger than Francouz (33), which could be an enticing factor for Colorado, who could bring in an affordable goalie with upside to replace their aging backup.
When it comes to return for the Flames, Colorado is likely not looking to move roster forwards or defencemen. One season removed from their Cup win and boasting a roster featuring a couple of the best players in the world in or approaching their prime, they’re undoubtedly in win-now mode.
So, prospects and/or draft picks?
One user has already cooked up a deal on the CapFriendly Trade Machine that would see the Flames nabbing a 2024 7th round pick and a 2025 4th round pick from Colorado in exchange for Vladar.
What would you like to see the Flames acquire in return for sending goaltender Dan Vladar to the Avalanche?
Salary cap and roster data credit: CapFriendly