Wolf due to stay with the Flames the remainder of the season with back-up netminder Dan Vladar's campaign over
Wolf due to stay with the Flames the remainder of the season with back-up netminder Dan Vladar's campaign over
The apprenticeship begins in earnest starting now for Calgary Flames top prospect goaltender Dustin Wolf. That’s the biggest benefit — maybe the only benefit — with the club’s back-up Dan Vladar shut down for the season and hip surgery scheduled for next week.
Having accomplished nearly everything he can in the AHL ranks over nearly three seasons, Wolf will serve as caddy to Flames number-one netminder Jacob Markstrom over the final 14 games of the regular season. (A miraculous run to the playoffs technically is possible, but not likely with Calgary eight points off the wild-card pace.)
Which means Wolf, who turns 23 next month, will have every opportunity to learn from Markstrom.
“He’s a world-class goaltender for a reason. He’s, in my mind, probably top five in the league,” Wolf told the media after Thursday’s practice. “The way he handles himself off the ice is super important, and I think that’s a big reason why he’s played so long in this league, I’m sure he’ll play many more years. I’m super-excited to be around him each and every day for the next month, and kind of pick apart his game and see what works super-well for him. Granted, I don’t have the structure that he does, but (I’ll) try to learn as much as I can.”
Wolf has yet again put up excellent numbers during his stints with the AHL Wranglers. In 10 NHL appearances this season, he has compiled a 3-4-1 record, with a 3.25 goals-against average and .897 save percentage. There have been some great performances, notably wins over the Vegas Golden Knights and Montreal Canadiens last week while Markstrom was on the shelf due to injury, but some lessons learned. Being around Markstrom on a daily basis will be a boon to the club’s expected goalie of the future.
“I know the transition, It's a different game. It takes time. For me, it took almost 10 years to kind of figure everything out,” said Markstrom, who was 27 years old before he solidified himself as a starter. “You’ve got to play games to get better and to learn, and has been doing great when he comes in here and plays.”
Stylistically, the 6-foot-6 Markstrom is a completely different netminder from the (generously listed) 6-foot Wolf, but there are myriad aspects of the game to teach.
“It's a lot (more) mental than people think,” Markstrom explained. “It's kind of how the game is, because even now, I go through stretches where I think the game is so fast, and then when I feel good and have success in my play, the game is really slow. You're in position and just waiting for it. It's kind of read of the pace of the game and try to stay ahead of it the whole time.”
So, as much as losing the well-liked Vladar for the remainder of the season casts a pall on the organization, the Flames are facing a golden opportunity to get a better read on Wolf’s abilities at the NHL level.
“There’s only a handful of teams that have a true number-one goaltender,” coach Ryan Huska said. “We have one in Jacob so it’s an opportunity to see how he approaches his work on a game day, his work on a practice day, all of those things come into play for him. Other than that, when (Wolf) gets his starts, he wants to make sure he keeps proving to himself that he is a guy that should be getting more games, and that’s what it really comes down to.”
Wolf is slated to serve as backup when the Flames visit the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday, which likely means he will start Sunday’s home clash with the Buffalo Sabres. How many more starts he will receive will be dictated by the club’s playoff hopes in the immediate future, but opportunities will be there.
“I’ve kind of been up and down a lot all the year, so there hasn’t been a whole lot of time to adjust to where my feet are at,” Wolf said.“This is definitely the opportunity I’ve been hoping and waiting for. Now’s the chance to take advantage of it.”
