In his second career NHL start, the top-prospected delivered a solid 34-save effort in Calgary's 4-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators
With Jacob Markstrom ready to return from the injury that sidelined him the first two games of the road trip, the Calgary Flames returned top-prospect goaltender Dustin Wolf to the AHL Wranglers on Tuesday.
The Flames finish a three-game road trip against the Montreal Canadiens.
Wolf made 34 saves in Calgary's 4-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday, his first NHL start of the season and second of his career.
As much as Flames fans are clamouring for him to remain with the big club, Wolf is on an entry-level contract and does not require waivers, making it an easy choice to keep Dan Vladar with the big club.
“I believe I can play at this level and it was good to feel that,” Wolf, 22, told the media after the Ottawa game.
“As the game went on, I continued to feel more and more comfortable out there. Obviously, they threw a lot of rubber, so I was able to get myself in the game pretty quickly. They're a good team over there and they made some outstanding plays that ended up being goals and we just learn from it,” he added.
Wolf was victimized by a high deflection and then an unlucky bounce — a puck that banked off a player right to another in front of the net — on the first two goals, and then a horrible turnover on the third goal.
It is definitely not the last Flames fans will have seen of the reigning AHL MVP and two-time AHL top goaltender.
“I thought he was excellent,” coach Ryan Huska said. “I thought he had some good poise in the net, he was very calm. The one nice thing that amazes me when I watch him, when pucks hit him, they don't go anywhere. He sucks them in. He's got an ability to control his rebounds really well, so I thought he handled himself well.”
Wolf will rejoin a Wranglers team that boasts an 8-1-1 record and plays host to Bakersfield tonight and tomorrow at the Saddledome.