As the Jacob Markstrom era comes to an end, the Calgary Flames are gearing up for a season with a goalie situation that is anything but settled. General manager Craig Conroy spoke to NHL.com recently about the open competition between Dustin Wolf, Dan Vladar, and Devin Cooley to determine who will get the nod on any given night.
“I want to see where the goaltending goes,” Conroy said. “That’s a little bit unknown. But I can’t worry about it. Talking to the guys, they all believe, ‘this is an unbelievable opportunity for me, and I’m going to grab the reins and run with it.’ That’s what I want, someone to do that. All three guys feel very comfortable they’re going to be that person.”
Wolf, the standout seventh-round pick in 2019, has been turning heads after his impressive AHL performances in the past two seasons, earning him the titles of most outstanding goaltender and AHL MVP. With a solid showing in a preseason game against the Seattle Kraken, Wolf seems to be making a strong case for himself.
Meanwhile, Vladar, who has been the backup goalie for the Flames for the past three years, is looking to bounce back after a challenging season. As a pending unrestricted free agent, Vladar is under pressure to prove himself in this competition.
Cooley, the new addition to the Flames roster, is eager to prove himself after making his NHL debut with the San Jose Sharks last season. His performance in the upcoming games will be crucial in determining his role within the team.
The Flames made a bold move trading Markstrom to the New Jersey Devils, setting the stage for this intense goalie battle. Head coach Ryan Huska expressed his excitement about the competition, acknowledging that all three goalies have the opportunity to step up and claim the starting job.
“It’s up to one of them to really step up and grab that job,” Huska said. “I hope they all do. That’d be great for us. But we know we have good goalies, and we know they’re going to give us good games and the competition between all of them are going to be really good.”
As the Flames head into the new season, the uncertainty in the goalie position adds an element of excitement and intrigue to their lineup. The battle for the No. 1 spot is on, and the outcome remains to be seen.
