Flyers Take Massive Swing by Extending Top Center

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The Philadelphia Flyers took a massive swing by extending their top-line center to a long-term contract extension.

The Philadelphia Flyers took a massive swing on Monday, signing their top-line center to a contract extension.

The club announced it had extended Christian Dvorak for five years at $5.15 million. The deal doesn’t come as much of a surprise as it has been in the cards for some time. Insider Elliotte Friedman first brought up the rumor in December.

Now, the extension makes the Flyers’ commitment to Dvorak patent. This season, the 29-year-old has nine goals and 25 points in 39 games this season. While he wasn’t originally seen as the team’s 1C, his play, coupled with injuries and inconsistency, has catapulted him to the top of Philly’s depth chart.

Dvorak’s rise to the top line seemed virtually inevitable after Trevor Zegras became a permanent fixture on the wing. Meanwhile, captain Sean Couturier hasn’t quite been the top-line center the team would want him to be.

That’s why extending Dvorak on a five-year deal is a massive swing. While the AAV is fantastic, the fact is that the club believes Dvorak’s production this season is not an outlier. This season, Dvorak is well on his way to surpassing his career-highs. He set a personal benchmark with 18 goals and 20 assists for 38 points with the defunct Arizona Coyotes during the 2019-20 season.

The former second-round pick has topped 30 points six times in his career. This year, however, could be the best of his career.

Flyers Banking on Dvorak’s Production Sticking

The Flyers are banking on Christian Dvorak’s production becoming the norm rather than the exception.

Dvorak had seemingly plateaued with the Montreal Canadiens. In his four seasons, he only managed to hit 33 points on two occasions. But that seeming lack of production was due to the poor teams he played on. Moreover, the Canadiens never really saw Dvorak as anything more than a 3C.

When the Flyers signed Dvorak this past offseason, the plan was similar. At best, Dvorak would slot in as a 2C. But if the Trevor Zegras experiment worked out, and Couturier regained his form under Rick Tocchet, Dvorak would have been a 3C.

Alas, that was not the case. The Flyers pushed Dvorak out of necessity, and he has responded.

Philly Gets a Bargain in Dvorak Contract

Regardless of whether Dvorak is a 1C or a 3C, the Flyers got a major bargain with this extension. Getting a solid NHL center for about $5 million AAV is ridiculous in today’s NHL. Serviceable NHL centers go for at least $7 or $8 million in this market.

It seems Dvorak was willing to give the Flyers a break. He, like the organization, believes this is a good fit for both sides. So, why drag things out? The club will need to prioritize other areas. Thus, giving the club a bit of a discount makes sense.

Meanwhile, the Flyers are in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race. A strong push in the second half of the season could catapult the Flyers to the postseason, with Dvorak leading the charge.

Nestor Quixtan Seasoned NHL analyst and baseball writer focused on covering clubs across each league with news, analysis, and insights. Originally from Toronto, Canada, Nestor’s singular experiences and background have enabled him to bring a different take on the sports world as a whole. Nestor’s fondness for baseball and hockey set the tone for his love and passion for writing about sports. More about Nestor Quixtan