Flyers Blog: Pros & Cons of a Possible Christian Dvorak Extension

Elliotte Friedman has reported that the Philadelphia Flyers and Christian Dvorak have been discussing an extension ahead of January 1st, the day when players who signed one-year deals can ink an extension.

Dvorak, 29, signed a one-year, $5.4 million deal with the Flyers this past July.

The centerman is in the midst of a career year, scoring 8 goals and 24 points through 36 games. He has been centering the Flyers’ top line, has played a critical role in unlocking a point-per-game player in Trevor Zegras, and plays a full 200-foot game.

Dvorak has been one of the Flyers’ most reliable penalty-killers and can even be a plug-in to the power play, especially given how good he has been at the faceoff circle.

Center is a position where the Flyers have struggled to find stability and success, especially lately. Dvorak is putting together one of the better seasons a center has had in Philadelphia during the past four to five years.

So, an extension feels like a no-brainer, right?

Well, there is always the counterargument.

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Counterargument to extending Christian Dvorak

The Flyers are close, but not fully there in the rebuild. They still lack that future 1C and 1D talent that is so coveted and so hard to find in free agency or on the trade market. Dvorak, who is again having a career year, could become a high-demand player at the trade deadline, given his two-way ability and positional versatility.

In all honesty, there is a good chance you could fetch a first-round pick plus for Dvorak at the deadline – a return like that could be the final touches on a rebuild, whether that return is used in the draft or as ammo to acquire NHL players.

Looking down the road, while the Flyers’ strength is not down the middle, they have a lot of “centers” locked up. Sean Couturier and Noah Cates are both signed for three or more years after this season. Jett Luchanko is nearing the NHL. Would either of the previous two be moved to the 4th line to make room for Luchanko? The Flyers’ top center prospect could be NHL-ready by next season, if not, then the season after.

Christian Dvorak would not be extended unless it were to be in a top-nine role, so something would have to give elsewhere in the top nine.

Not to mention, the Dvorak will be 30 by the season’s end. That is not old by any means, but he could be ahead of the Flyers’ timeline.

Despite the counterarguments, one thing remains clear: the Flyers are ready to extend Christian Dvorak.

The Flyers are ready to extend key players

The Flyers can’t be stuck in the deadline seller’s position forever. At some point, the team will start adding rather than subtracting in early March. While I don’t foresee the Flyers chasing any big-name rentals, I do see them making that playoff push and adding some pieces at the deadline.

That said, I doubt they sell off one of their best three players from the season. So, if you’re not going to trade Dvorak, because he is one of your better players, why not extend him for that same reason? It makes perfect sense that the Flyers give an extension to someone who has been their best player at a position of need. In all honesty, losing Dvorak would set the Flyers even further back at center.

Again, there is an argument that it could hurt Luchanko’s development. To that, I’d say there are more options for both Dvorak and Luchanko to have a top-nine role than not. Other centers could move further down the lineup with the 4C spot being open next season. Noah Cates, who has struggled at faceoffs this year, could become a bottom-six winger with a high penalty killing role. There are plenty of options. Extending Dvorak would not be the end of the world.

Dvorak will be 30 when the potential extension kicks in. While yes, that is ahead of the Flyers’ timeline, 30 is just not old. Dvorak could very much still be in his prime for three or four years beyond his age 30 season.

Not to mention, the center has proved himself to be a serviceable top center. At least until the Flyers find their coveted 1C. No, Christian Dvorak is not the long-term answer. But he can undoubtedly play alongside top talent without losing a step while contributing.

Sure, there are plenty of reasons to be concerned about a potential extension. However, there are just as many reasons to believe that the Flyers are in a good position to extend a player like Dvorak.

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What could a Dvorak extension look like?

One thing from Frieman’s report that stuck out was his saying, “[The extension] has to work for both sides for it to happen.”

Yeah, no duh. Two sides need to agree on something for a deal to happen. But, it got me thinking, what would each side want in the deal?

For the Flyers, I would expect term to be a significant factor. I would expect that they don’t want to go too long for a couple of reasons. The first being the youth movement behind him. No, Dvorak would not immediately block Luchanko, Jack Nesbitt, or even a Jack Berglund and Heikki Ruohonen. But, five years down the road, maybe the Flyers want to get some of these prospects higher in the mix.

Second, the shorter the term is, the more movable the deal becomes. Say the Flyers are ready to move on after two years to make room for younger players. It’s a hell of a lot easier to move a contract with one or two years remaining than three or four years.

That said, I doubt the Flyers would go any longer than four years.

On Dvorak’s side, like most players, he’ll probably want some bit of security in term. If the Flyers don’t want to go long-term, they’ll have to make up for it in cost. Dvorak bet on himself with the one-year, $5.4 million deal. My best guess is he’ll want more than that, especially if the Flyers go short-term.

My best guess: four years, $24 million, a $6 million AAV.

Would you give Christian Dvorak an extension?

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