Dustin Wolf has chance to be Flames outlier: Homegrown starting goalie

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Trevor Kidd and Mike Vernon: That’s the sum whole checklist of NHL beginning goalies the Calgary Flames have ever drafted and developed as a company.

Vernon received the Cup in 1989 and Kidd can be eternally immortalized because the man who was picked forward of Martin Brodeur.

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It has been a protracted chilly streak of choosing puckstoppers. Whether or not on account of dangerous fortune or a scarcity of competence, regardless of the trigger, the Flames can be trying to lastly snap the drought with Dustin Wolf.

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Chosen fourth final within the 2019 draft on account of his comparatively small stature (standing 6-foot-0), Wolf went on to be named the WHL goalie of the yr twice and the perfect goaltender within the CHL throughout his junior profession.

His time within the AHL was no completely different, the place Wolf has already collected a complete shelf of particular person awards, together with: One all-rookie staff look, two first-team all-star appearances, two Aldege “Baz” Bastien trophies (finest goalie within the league), the Much less Cunningham award (most beneficial participant within the league), the Harry “Hap” Holmes award (lowest GAA), and President’s award (excellent accomplishment).

Over three seasons within the AHL, Wolf has positioned fourth, first and third in league save proportion, respectively. To not point out three straight wins within the NHL at the moment with the 6-5 choice over Arizona on Sunday evening.

It’s protected to say no Flames goaltending prospect ever had a greater pedigree.

Wolf is, by far, essentially the most adorned hopeful in Calgary’s group at the moment. Nonetheless, the group’s lengthy historical past of failed goalie picks and the participant’s less-than-ideal stature looms over the complete endeavour.

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Little question Wolf’s efforts within the NHL will anxiously be monitored throughout his pending internship, however the rush to judgment must be tempered and changed by a protracted and affected person growth interval.

Goaltender is the toughest place in hockey to each assess and predict. Puckstoppers are extremely depending on the staff in entrance of them. The quantity and high quality of pictures can influence save proportion and win charges.

Tougher, nevertheless, is the very small vary between nice and horrible for puckstopping within the NHL.

Think about, as an illustration, taking a check in class, with a steep grading curve between 93% (A+) and 87% (F). These are among the the explanation why even a longtime veteran like Jacob Markstrom can see his season-to-season save proportion fluctuate from excellent (.922 SV% in 2021-22) to dangerous (.892 SV% in 2022-23).

Goaltenders additionally are usually essentially the most difficult gamers to develop. The price of a mistake in web may be very excessive and it’s not like a coach can disguise a goalie on the fourth line or the third pairing.

In consequence, it’s troublesome for younger, unproven goalies to be trusted by NHL coaches. They normally aren’t allowed to play via their errors.

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As a substitute, younger puckstoppers sometimes need to put collectively lengthy stretches of above-average play to stay within the league and solely will develop into the starter by outplaying an incumbent.

All of those elements are particularly related at any time when a staff is aggressive. In these circumstances, a membership hardly ever has the luxurious of working with a younger netminder and hoping he’ll discover his manner whereas they battle for a playoff spot or post-season wins.

Taken altogether, it’s no surprise most goalies don’t are likely to develop into NHL starters till their mid-to-late 20’s.

Once more, Markstrom is an attention-grabbing case examine. The membership’s present starter was picked within the second spherical within the 2008 draft, however didn’t play greater than 35 video games in a season till 2017. Lengthy internships are the rule fairly than the exception within the crease.

Belief and a big pattern dimension of video games is what you have to successfully consider a younger puckstopper, neither of which they’re normally afforded.

The Flames are additionally hardly ever able to grant a goalie prospect both of this stuff. Additionally they hardly ever have a prospect within the system who’s well worth the effort.

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Wolf’s resume suggests he may very well be a reliable NHL starter, if not a star. Being shorter will tempt each followers and administration to hurry to judgment ought to he not instantly excel within the present, however this must be resisted.

Because the saying goes, small gamers need to show they’ll play, large gamers need to show they’ll’t. This truism is a bias that must be resisted, not less than in conditions the place the smaller participant has been nothing however distinctive at each different stage he has performed.

Calgary is about to embark on a rebuild. If it may be affected person, the group could possibly time their return to competitiveness simply as Wolf blossoms right into a starter.

The Flames by no means have had a greater alternative to interrupt their goalie prospect curse.

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