Expectations surrounding the Calgary Flames entering the 2025-26 season were quite low. Despite nearly making the playoffs the season prior, most viewed them as an overachieving roster that was likely to fall back down to earth. Their 32-36-8 record goes to show that those who felt regression coming were correct.
The struggles we’ve seen from the Flames this season aren’t a bad thing, however. In fact, many fans are happy with how things have played out, as they believe a high-end draft pick this June could go a long way in helping the organization in the years to come.
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Given how young and inexperienced this Flames roster is, there weren’t a ton of expectations from the fan base. The main importance was that some of their younger talent would continue to take steps forward, while Dustin Wolf would continue to progress in his quest of becoming one of the NHL’s best goaltenders. Unfortunately, the latter part of that sentence hasn’t come to fruition, and it’s becoming worrisome to many.
Wolf Experiencing Major Sophomore Slump
As mentioned, the Flames nearly made the playoffs in 2024-25 in what was Wolf’s rookie season. Part of that success for the team came from the fact that they had more scoring and a heavier veteran presence, though it can’t be overstated just how much Wolf’s performance kept them in the race.
Wolf, who wound up finishing second in Calder Trophy voting, took the NHL by storm in his rookie season, compiling a 2.64 goals against average (GAA) along with a .910 save percentage (SV%) and a 29-16-8 record through 53 appearances.
That impressive rookie season, paired with Wolf’s dominance in both the Western Hockey League (WHL) and American Hockey League (AHL) had many, particularly those in Calgary, believing that he was set to become an elite NHL goaltender for years to come. Some still believe he is on his way to becoming just that, though there are others who are starting to have some doubts.
Wolf’s second season has been a disappointing one. He’s appeared in 54 games so far, posting a 3.07 GAA along with a .895 SV%. Those numbers not only pale in comparison to his 2024-25 stats, but are also significantly worse than back-up Devin Cooley. Cooley, who has made 29 appearances on the season, has a very respectable 2.63 GAA paired with a .913 SV%.
Some are simply attributing Wolf’s down year to the fact that he’s playing behind a rebuilding roster. That argument loses some merit, however, based on Cooley’s numbers. It goes to show that while the team in front hasn’t helped, Wolf has been part of the reason as to why they have just 32 wins on the season.
Goalies are Tough to Predict
Wolf’s down season shows all of us a few things. The first, and perhaps more important, is that development is rarely linear. Almost all players will go through their ups and downs, particularly early in their respective careers. That is important to remember for those who are beginning to worry about Wolf due to his recent struggles.
What it also shows is just how hard it is to predict goaltenders at the NHL level. There are the truly elites such as Andrei Vasilevskiy, Connor Hellebuyck, and Igor Shesterkin, but aside from those three and perhaps one or two others, goalies around the NHL are often very consistent from year to year.
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Fans may have to come to the realization that this is what we could see from Wolf going forward. He’s certainly capable of putting together elite stretches and still absolutely has the potential to be a top-10 goalie in the NHL. That said, it may be a tall ask to expect him to put himself into that elite category that is seemingly at the top of their respective game year in and year out.
