If there were ever worries about a sophomore slump for Dustin Wolf, they should be put to rest now.
They were probably always a little silly, but a slower-than-expected start to the 2025-26 season amplified concerns just a bit.
And if you remove any context and just take his season-long numbers purely on their own, you could probably still argue that Wolf’s .893 save percentage and 3.24 goals-against average are a little disappointing, especially compared to the .910 save percentage and 2.64 GAA he put up last year.
The thing is, removing all context is stupid. Those numbers don’t tell anything close to the full story.
Yes, Wolf got off to a slow start, but his numbers over the last three-and-a-half weeks prove he’s absolutely playing at an elite level again.
Since Oct. 19, the day after the Flames got pounded 6-1 by the Vegas Golden Knights, Wolf has been on a heater. He’s played in 11 games and has posted a .917 save percentage and 2.32 GAA. Among NHL goalies who have played at least seven games over that stretch, only four of them have a better save percentage and five have a better goals-against average.
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“I think he’s given us a chance in almost every game he’s played,” said Flames head coach Ryan Huska. “I’d look at the first four games and I’d say he wasn’t at the standard he normally has been at for us. We talked about consistency a little bit where there were stretches within games where maybe he’d want one back, but you’re seeing less and less of that as we’ve moved forward here.
“He’s given us a chance every night as we expect him to do. That’s his job and that’s why he’s in the position he’s in right now.”
For obvious reasons, the Flames need Wolf to be playing at an elite level. They remain the NHL’s lowest-scoring team, with only 39 goals through 19 games, and the only way they’re going to crawl out of the last-place hole they’ve dug for themselves is by keeping the puck out of their own net and capitalizing on a few opportunities here and there.
Blake Coleman scores on San Jose Sharks goalie Yaroslav Askarov on Thursday.
It’s not an easy formula, but Thursday’s 2-0 win over the San Jose Sharks showed what it looks like when the Flames manage to execute their game plan. Wolf only had to stop 16 shots to get his first shutout of the year, but he rose to the occasion whenever the Sharks did manage to put him under pressure.
He’s been doing that a lot over the last month or so. It hasn’t resulted in many wins so far, but if there’s one thing that’s plain for anyone to see it’s that Wolf hasn’t been the problem for these Flames.
“I like my game,” Wolf said. “I think over the whole course of the year I’ve liked the large majority of my game, it just hasn’t always translated. You always find little areas where you can be better, but you know what? My job is to stop pucks and help our team win games. The wins haven’t been coming but me and (Flames goaltending coach Jason LaBarbera) talk about it every day, it’s a process.
“Step by step, you want to build on your foundation and make sure you’re hitting your points of emphasis each and every night. If you do that, you’re going to be pretty happy with yourself. There’s going to be goals that go in that you want, but that’s the game of hockey.”
Remember, too, that Wolf has currently played more minutes (892:05) than any player in the entire NHL. He’s taken on a heavy work load this season and has so far shown no signs that it’s wearing him down.
Whatever problems the Flames have this season — and they’re legion — Wolf isn’t one of them.
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