Wolf summoned from the Wranglers in light of Dan Vladar's injury means more reliance on standout Jacob Markstrom
Even amidst their retooling/rebuilding — whatever anybody wants to call it — the Flames will be leaning severely on goaltender Jacob Markstrom.
The caveat being as long as Markstrom is not among those dealt away between now and the March 8 trade deadline.
That reliance on Markstrom will be even heavier in the coming games with No.-2 goalie Dan Vladar suffering a lower-body injury in the warm-up prior to Thursday’s game, being placed on the injured list and Dustin Wolf recalled on Friday from the AHL Wranglers.
The Flames put their three-game winning streak on the line in a Saturday morning-in-Calgary-afternoon-in-New-York clash against the Islanders.
Heading into Saturday’s schedule, the Flames sit one point back of the St. Louis Blues for the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot.
Vladar last saw action in Calgary’s 3-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Jan. 20, and he served as the backup during Thursday’s 5-3 victory over the New Jersey Devils.
Wolf, who enjoying a third consecutive stellar season in the AHL, has played in five NHL games this season — four starts — and posted a 1-2-1 record with a 3.46 goals-against average and .893 save percentage. With the Wranglers, he has sported an 18-7-2 record, 2.27 GAA and .927 SvPct.
What impact this has in Flames games remains to be seen, but it could be almost nil. Calgary’s next set of games on consecutive days is not until March 9-10, and the Flames even have two full days between games after their current four-game trip ends Monday at the New York Rangers.
The four-game homestand that will follow this trip does have an odd twist; afternoon home games on the Saturday and Monday of the Family Day long weekend.
While it remains unlikely Markstrom will be traded — he has two more seasons on his contract with a $6 million salary cap hit and a no-movement clause — his name has been bandied about as a goaltender to target for teams believing they have a championship opportunity and if the Flames want to take their rebuild deeper.