If Monday night was any indication, Dustin Wolf is already locked in.
The Flames’ young goaltender got his first full preseason start against the Seattle Kraken and looked in mid season form. Wolf turned aside 35 of 36 shots through regulation and overtime, then shut the door in the shootout, stopping three of four shooters to help Calgary pick up the win.
What stood out most was how calm and composed he looked. His positioning was sharp, his reads were on point, and he made tough saves look routine. Even when Seattle pushed hard in overtime, Wolf stood tall—though he got a little help from his best friends, both posts, when one shot rang off each bar and stayed out. As the saying goes, you’ve got to be good to be lucky.
This is nothing new for Wolf. The reigning Calder Trophy finalist had a stellar rookie year in 2024–25, appearing in 53 games with a 29-16-8 record, a .910 save percentage, and a 2.64 goals-against average. His 29 wins led all rookie netminders and ranked 11th overall among NHL goalies. Not bad for year one.
The Flames rewarded him this summer with a seven-year extension worth $7.5 million per season, betting big on him as their franchise goalie of the future. Performances like Monday’s are exactly why.
If there’s one area of his game that still feels like a work in progress, it’s the shootout—but even there, Wolf looked sharper. He stopped three of four Kraken shooters, giving rookie Matvei Gridin the chance to bury the winner in round five.
Bottom line: Wolf looked midseason ready in September. If this is what he’s bringing to the table before the real games start, the Flames should feel very good about where they’re headed in net.