Dan Vladar left Tuesday night's preseason game in Boston with an upper-body injury, and the Philadelphia Flyers are holding their breath.
The goalie went down with 6:29 left in the first period while trying to corral a rebound after losing his stick.
Michael Eyssimont tipped a shot past him to make it 1-0 Bruins. Vladar was back on his feet, but clearly banged up.
He skated to the bench hunched over, favoring his right arm and stick hand. Aleksei Kolosov took over and played the rest of the night.
It didn't go well for anyone in orange. Boston rolled to a 5-1 win, and Philadelphia is now 0-2 in preseason.
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The right side is what should worry Rick Tocchet. Vladar was banged up around his right hand and wrist in Game 3 of last spring's first round against Pittsburgh.
He never missed a playoff start. But he later said that injury kept him from joining Czechia at the World Championship.
Joseph Woll suddenly matters for the Flyers' season opener
The regular season opens next Wednesday at home against Pittsburgh. The Flyers are back at training camp Wednesday, which should bring the first real update.
Nobody has said whether Tuesday's exit was precautionary. Until someone does, the calendar is the enemy.
Last season is why this stings so much. Vladar set career highs with 29 wins in 52 games.
The playoffs were even better. He posted a .922 save percentage and two shutouts over 10 starts.
That run delivered the franchise's first playoff berth since 2020 and a trip to the second round.
The Flyers rewarded him with a five-year, $27.5 million extension. Right now, that deal feels a lot heavier.
So who starts if the big Czech can't go?
It's Joseph Woll, the 28-year-old acquired from the Maple Leafs this summer, and a goalie with starting experience.
He wasn't sharp Monday, stopping 16 of 19 shots in a preseason loss to Washington.
Losing your starter in September is like the furnace quitting the week the first frost hits. You'll survive, but it gets cold fast.
Throwing Vladar back in Thursday when Boston visits would be a bad idea, even if he swears he's fine.
Last Friday, he said "nothing's older than yesterday's newspapers." That line lands a little differently tonight.
Tocchet's crease plan for Pittsburgh now hinges on Wednesday's update. And after last spring, everyone in that locker room knows how thin the margin gets without their No. 1.
Should the Flyers start Joseph Woll on opening night even if Dan Vladar is cleared?
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