A Needed Breather: Dustin Wolf and the Value of the Upcoming Olympic Freeze

If there was ever a moment for the calendar to offer Dustin Wolf a breather, this might be it. With four games left before the Olympic break, it’s clear that the Flames netminder could use a breather.

The Olympic roster freeze arrives at a critical point in the Calgary Flames’ season—and perhaps at an even more important juncture for their young starting goaltender. January has been a grind for Wolf, both statistically and visually, as the workload that once showcased his durability now appears to be catching up with him.

Wolf (15-20-3) has dropped seven of his last eight starts, surrendering at least four goals in each of those losses (1-6-1). It’s a stretch that stands in stark contrast to the confidence and consistency he showed a season ago, when he emerged as one of the league’s most promising young netminders.

What makes the downturn more understandable—if not less concerning—is just how much Wolf has been asked to shoulder.

He has been one of the NHL’s busiest goaltenders this season. His 39 games played rank second league-wide. His minutes are among the top four at the position (2179.43). He’s faced an enormous volume of rubber, making 944 saves— third in the NHL—while allowing 110 goals, the second-highest total in the league.

That kind of workload wears on even established veterans, let alone a goaltender still early in his NHL career.

The results reflect it. Wolf’s .896 save percentage and 3.03 goals-against average sit well below expectations, especially for a goalie who finished as a Calder Trophy finalist just one season ago. The underlying talent hasn’t disappeared, but the margins have thinned, and the fatigue has been hard to ignore.

Last season offered a clear glimpse of what Wolf is capable of when conditions are right. In his rookie campaign, he quietly put together one of the strongest seasons by a first-year goaltender in the league: 29 wins, a 2.64 goals-against average, a .910 save percentage, and three shutouts. He earned a spot on the NHL All-Rookie Team and placed himself firmly in the Calder conversation.

Those numbers weren’t accidental. Wolf finished top-15 league-wide in save percentage and goals-against average, ranked 11th in wins, and sat among the NHL’s leaders in high-danger and mid-range saves. It wasn’t just volume—it was quality.

His résumé beyond the NHL only reinforces that point. Wolf is a two-time Del Wilson Trophy winner as the WHL’s top goaltender and was named the CHL’s Goaltender of the Year in 2020. He carried that dominance into the professional ranks with the Calgary Wranglers, winning back-to-back AHL Goaltender of the Year awards and claiming league MVP honors in 2023.

That pedigree matters, especially now.

It’s reasonable to think Cooley has earned a larger share of the crease in the second half, not as a demotion for Wolf, but as a recalibration for a team trying to protect its long-term investment.

Because while Wolf has struggled, the Flames have quietly received excellent goaltending in limited action from Devin Cooley. In a smaller sample size, Cooley owns a .924 save percentage—fourth best in the NHL—and a 2.17 goals-against average, which ranks eighth. His 6-5-3 record doesn’t jump off the page, but his efficiency has been undeniable.

That’s where the Olympic roster freeze becomes more than a scheduling footnote. It offers a chance to reset. To manage minutes. To let Wolf breathe—physically and mentally—after carrying one of the heaviest workloads in the league.

The Flames still believe in Wolf. The skill is there. The accolades are real. The mindset that carried him through junior hockey, the AHL, and a standout rookie season hasn’t vanished. This season feels less like a regression and more like a reminder: development isn’t linear, especially at the most demanding position in the sport.

The second half will be telling. Not because Wolf needs to prove he belongs—but because Calgary needs to show it understands how to help him succeed.

Sometimes the best move isn’t pushing harder. It’s knowing when to pause.