It’s an old joke in the newspaper business — ‘Get me a rewrite!’
The Flames swung a couple of significant trades, loaded up on prospects at the NHL draft and then made several intriguing additions in free agency.
And so here we go again, starting with the goaltenders.
RECENT ADDITIONS
Devin Cooley was among the Flames’ top targets on the free-agent market and they were pumped to get his signature on a two-year contract — a deal that starts as a two-way in 2024-25 before upgrading to a one-way the following winter. Cooley, 27, is currently pencilled as the third-stringer, although he’ll push Dan Vladar and Dustin Wolf for big-league playing time. Kirill Zarubin, who was welcomed in the third round of the 2024 NHL draft, will continue to hone his skills in the junior ranks in Russia.
RECENT DEPARTURES
The Flames finally pulled the trigger in mid-June on a Jacob Markstrom trade, sending the 34-year-old workhorse — the starter at the Saddledome for the past four seasons — to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for a first-round pick in 2025 and behemoth blueliner Kevin Bahl. After two winters as the backup with the Wranglers and some impactful contributions in the community, Oscar Dansk will not be re-signed.
STILL ON THE TO-DO LIST
There are enough masked men on the roster, so don’t expect any further additions, but the Flames will need to negotiate a new contract with Wolf, who remains a restricted free agent. We are curious whether the 23-year-old — last spotted on horseback in the Calgary Stampede parade — will land a one-way deal. He remains waiver-exempt for one more season, but has nothing left to prove in the minors.
IF THE SEASON STARTED TOMORROW
This will likely be the biggest storyline at training camp: The battle between Vladar and Wolf to be Calgary’s opening-night netminder. While Vladar has the most experience, with 66 career starts on the biggest stage, most believe Wolf has more upside and the goaltender-of-the-future certainly will have an opportunity to prove he can be the goaltender of right now. The best guess is these two will wind up with a near-even split in workload in the coming season, although that could depend on Vladar’s recovery from hip surgery. The 26-year-old is aiming to be back on the ice sometime this month, but he’ll be careful not to rush it.
DON’T FORGET ABOUT
Cooley is the wildcard in the crease competition. He earned his first nibbles of NHL action at the tail end of last season, logging six appearances with the San Jose Sharks. While the numbers — a 2-3-1 record with a 4.98 goals-against average and .870 save percentage — weren’t especially pretty, it’s tough to be the last line of defence for a last-place team. The Flames believe the late-blooming Cooley has plenty of untapped potential, with director of goaltending Jordan Sigalet saying on a recent radio interview: “It wouldn’t surprise me if this kid is a full-time NHL goalie in the near future.”
ROOKIE WATCH
Waltteri Ignatjew must be busy packing for his move to North America after he signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Flames in the spring. The 24-year-old Ignatjew is originally from Finland and was saluted as the top puck-stopper this past season in Sweden’s second-tier Allsvenskan. He posted a 26-18 record, a 2.34 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage with Mora IK. As Sigalet put it: “He just stood out as a guy we thought we should take a chance on.” The next stop for Ignatjew, who will need to get comfortable with the angles on the smaller ice surface, will be the AHL.
BURNING QUESTION
While Wolf has always been praised for his unflappable demeanour and ability to bounce back after a tough night between the pipes, is there any concern about throwing him into the deep end behind a rebuilding bunch?