It’s no secret that the Calgary Flames have heavily depended on Dustin Wolf for their success. While the Flames have a future star in net, hockey isn’t a one-man sport. The Flames had a viable backup in Dan Vladar last season, but that stability decreased when he left in free agency. Devin Cooley currently stands as the backup goaltender behind Wolf, but that may not last for much longer, as the Flames are reportedly looking for another backup goaltender.
During the 1st intermission of tonight’s TOR/MTL game @FriedgeHNIC re-iterated that he thinks the #Flames will address their backup goalie situation soon.
Let’s see how long it takes to happen. #Flames have 12 games in the month of October including 2 back to backs. https://t.co/jUBlicj0Xs
— Logan Gordon (@Fan960Logan) October 9, 2025
The Flames aren’t convinced with Prosvetov and Cooley
Per insider Elliotte Friedman, he believes that the Flames are, in fact, looking to address their backup goaltending needs. He adds that the team is in search of a viable backup for Wolf, as Cooley’s lack of NHL experience may be a factor in his potential short stint with the team.
The Flames signed goaltender Ivan Prosvetov from Russia in the offseason, but given his performance in the preseason, the team clearly didn’t have enough confidence in him, resulting in Prosvetov being placed on waivers. While Cooley didn’t exactly stand out either, the Flames likely opted to keep him out of familiarity
It’s definitely a believable report. While Wolf is a top goaltender in this league, he’ll need some pressure taken off him. The chance of burnout is quite real, as it’s likely Wolf starts 60+ games this season. If the Flames do acquire a backup goaltender, it’ll likely be a player who has had significant NHL experience. I was surprised that they didn’t claim someone from the waiver wire a couple of days ago, but maybe there just wasn’t a player who stood out to the Flames. Either way, this is a situation that will likely get resolved sooner rather than later.
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