Brett Holmes-Imagn Images
Few goalies have accomplished as much this early in their hockey career as Calgary Flames netminder Dustin Wolf.
Being the best goalie in the WHL, CHL, AHL is already outstanding. Being named the AHL’s MVP in 2022-23 is another level. A world juniors gold medal with Team USA certainly looks nice as well.
The Flames have a very intriguing goalie with Wolf. He is still only 23 years old, yet it felt like he already outgrew the AHL. It took Calgary trading their No. 1 netminder, Jacob Markstrom, to the New Jersey Devils in the off-season to allow Wolf to transition to the NHL.
That said, it is imperative the Flames develop him the right way. They must put Wolf in the best situations to succeed, gain confidence and adjust to the NHL. Putting too much responsibility or pressure on Wolf right away won’t do him or the team any favors. And thanks to Dan Vladar and a roster that’s surprising the NHL right now with a 4-0-1 start, the red-hot Flames have gotten the best out of Wolf.
A quick look at the stats suggests Wolf is heavily outperforming Vladar. Wolf has a .944 save percentage and 2.02 goals-against average in two games, while Vladar has an .890 SP and 2.63 GAA. Wolf also has 1.1 goals saved above expected, which considers shot quality, while Vladar has a minus-0.3 rating in that regard, per moneypuck.com.
But instead of putting Wolf in net on the road in rivalry matchups against the Vancouver Canucks and Edmonton Oilers, Vladar got the nod. While Vladar allowed five goals on 24 shots against the Canucks, he did what he had to do while facing limited shots in the second and third periods to support Calgary’s three-goal comeback. Vladar’s outing against the Oilers was much better, stopping 25 of 26 shots against the Stanley Cup runners-up.
Even in the Flames’ overtime loss against the Seattle Kraken on Saturday, Vladar stopped 21 of 23 shots, including 0.56 goals saved above expected, which is about as much any team can ask for from their goaltender.
Wolf, meanwhile, started in net at home against the Philadelphia Flyers and Chicago Blackhawks, two rebuilding clubs in separate divisions.
While every game and point in the standings is important, the way the Flames used him for those two games instead of any of the other three seemed to work. Last season, Wolf performed better at home, with a 5-4-0 record, 2.84 GAA and .901 SP, compared to a 2-3-1 record, 3.69 GAA and .880 SP on the road.
This time at the Saddledome, Wolf was solid. He even faced more shots in both games than Vladar had in any of his first three contests. He stopped 37 of 40 shots against the Flyers and 31 of 32 shots versus Chicago.
If 27-year-old Vladar was costing his team wins, the Flames may have had to rely on Wolf more often off the get-go and give him more starts against tougher opponents and on the road. That’s a heavy workload and a lot of pressure for a 23-year-old goaltender, considering netminders tend to take longer to develop than skaters.
The competition in Calgary’s next stretch features the 3-4-0 Pittsburgh Penguins, 2-2-0 Carolina Hurricanes and 5-0-0 Winnipeg Jets, all at home, followed by the 3-2-1 Vegas Golden Knights and 4-1-1 Utah Hockey Club on the road. They then face the 5-2-1 New Jersey Devils and Oilers again at home to kick off November. Wolf will inevitably end up in some tougher matchups in the short term, but the Flames have a nice balance between the pipes, with a big thanks to Vladar doing what’s needed of him.
Wolf is already exceeding expectations for the average goalie prospect by being in an NHL tandem right now – the Flames and Vladar are only helping him work toward reaching his potential. That’s a very promising sign for the squad if its success continues.
Get the latest news and trending stories right to your inbox by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or by visiting our forum.
Related: NHL Rumor Roundup: No Big Moves This Season For The Calgary Flames?
Related: Opinion: Despite Hot Start, Calgary Flames Shouldn’t Rule Out Big Trades
