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October 9, 2025
Despite an impressive 2024-25 season, which saw them miss the playoffs by just a single point, outsiders have low expectations for the Calgary Flames once again. In fact, the vast majority of outlets are projecting them to regress from a season ago.
The lowered expectations are somewhat puzzling, given that the Flames have a very similar lineup to last season. One difference is in net, as Dan Vladar departed the organization in favour of the Philadelphia Flyers. The Flames did attempt to replace him by signing Ivan Prosvetov, but wound up re-assigning him to the American Hockey League (AHL) in favour of Devin Cooley.
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Though Cooley isn’t expected to see a ton of work this season, having him behind Dustin Wolf may be part of why many experts think the Flames will struggle. The 28-year-old has never posted a save percentage (SV%) of .910 or higher during his time in the AHL, and didn’t inspire much confidence with his preseason play. The Flames are taking a risk by entrusting him with the backup role, and it has the potential to blow up in their faces.
Other Options Were Available
As the preseason dragged on, it was becoming abundantly clear that neither Cooley nor Prosvetov was looking all too capable of handling a back up role behind Wolf. That had many thinking the Flames may look to claim a goalie off waivers, and when Michael DiPietro’s name hit the waiver wire on Monday, it seemed to be an easy fit.
DiPietro, who is 26, posted a 2.05 goals against average (GAA) paired with a .927 SV% in 40 games with the Providence Bruins of the AHL in 2024-25. The season prior, he put up a 2.51 GAA along with a .918 SV% in 30 appearances. Despite the major success in the AHL, however, the Flames chose to pass. That decision surprised many, including Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
“I’m concerned about the 20-25 games Dustin Wolf won’t play in Calgary,” Friedman said in his latest 32 Thoughts column. “I was surprised the Flames didn’t claim any of the available goalies on waivers Monday.”
Based on the numbers, it’s fair to suggest that DiPietro is a better goaltender than Cooley. The jury is still out on Prosvetov, who is coming off of a strong 2024-25 season in the Kontinental Hockey League and could rejoin the Flames if he excels in the AHL. DiPietro is in the first of a two-year deal with a cap hit of just $812,500, a deal the Flames could have easily fit in given their abundance of cap space.
Instead, they chose to stick with Cooley in a backup role, but don’t seem to have a ton of confidence in him. Head coach Ryan Huska told reporters on Tuesday that it is possible Wolf winds up starting each the Flames’ first two games of seasons, despite those games being on a back-to-back slate.
Flames Risk Running Wolf into the Ground
The fact that the Flames are already considering giving Wolf both starts in a back-to-back in the opening two games of the season is somewhat concerning. While the 24-year-old is coming off of an excellent rookie campaign, he is also their best — and perhaps only — chance of getting into the playoffs. While giving him the bulk of starts is the right decision, it’s important that he remains rested enough to still be effective in the latter part of the season.
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In Wolf’s four seasons of professional hockey, he’s never appeared in more than 55 games. He’s suited up for 53 in two other seasons, including the 2024-25 campaign. Based on the fact he’s being considered for both games of a back-to-back this early, however, suggests that the organization may be planning on giving him north of 60 starts this season. That, of course, comes down to the fact that they have little confidence in Cooley as their backup, making it all the more curious as to why they didn’t snatch DiPietro off of waivers when they had the chance.
