Player Discussion What are the Flames plans for Dustin Wolf?

[Rubi]

This kid is amazing and he's playing just as well as he did in Jr. without any sign of letup.
He's played 5 games and his record is 4-0-1 with a .949 Sv% and 1.59 GAA

How long can the Flames keep him down on the farm? What do you think the Flames will do?
If you were the GM what would you do?
Markstrom is signed until June 2026 and Vladar until June 2023.

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[Mobiandi]

I'm not a huge fan of overcooking prospects in the minors unless they're goalies. And with our goalie development troubles, I'd keep him down there for as long as possible before calling him up

 

[Rubi]

I'm not a huge fan of overcooking prospects in the minors unless they're goalies. And with our goalie development troubles, I'd keep him down there for as long as possible before calling him up

Can you offer a timeline?... Lets assume he continues his stellar play in Stockton...

 

[Darth Vladar]

Yeah, he's super young still, will only be 22 when Vladdy's contract is up. Lots of time for him to prove that he can do it consistently at the AHL level.

 

[Rubi]

I'm thinking that if he has a great year in Stockton how can you not give him an honest chance to play for the Flames next season?

 

[DFF]

If everything goes as planned, he takes over from Markstrom in 2024 or 2025

he had 5 professional games, so yeah lol

 

[Darth Vladar]

If everything goes as planned, he takes over from Markstrom in 2024 or 2025

he had 5 professional games, so yeah lol

He had three appearances with the Heat last season and went 2-1-0 with a 3.24 and an .895.

 

[I Hate Blake Coleman]

If I were the GM, I'd worry about it in June 2023 when there is one goalie on the books tbh. No reason to do otherwise unless his otherworldly play forces the leadership to give him a closer look.

 

[Rubi]

If everything goes as planned, he takes over from Markstrom in 2024 or 2025

he had 5 professional games, so yeah lol

This kid has been nothing but consistently outstanding in every league that he's played in... so yeah... 5 pro games sure but if he continues to play as great in Stockton for the rest of the season I don't see what the advantage would be in keeping him there for a 2nd year.
Trade Vladar in the summer and bring in Wolf as Markstrom's backup for the 2022-23 season. Let him apprentice under one of the best.

 

[Rubi]

If I were the GM, I'd worry about it in June 2023 when there is one goalie on the books tbh. No reason to do otherwise unless his otherworldly play forces the leadership to give him a closer look.

Thats the whole premise of my thread.... Wolf plays so well in Stockton that it would be almost a crime to keep him there for a a 2nd year. I'm all for him playing this whole season for the Heat but if he has an outstanding year... I say give him an honest chance to make the Flames next season.

 

[Flames Fanatic]

Let him continue to dominate the A hopefully. If he has a fully stellar year, let him fight for the backup spot next year. But if we intend to start Markstrom more than 55-60 games it's almost better to let him keep getting starts in the A.

 

[OvermanKingGainer]

Red Garrett Memorial Award
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Calder Trophy
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Stanley Cup
Conn Smythe Trophy
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Number Retired In the new Arena
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[User1996]

I see no harm in letting him play a full year or two down there. Goalies are just different

 

[Ace Rimmer]

He plays good.
Flames org "develops him"
He plays less good.
Flames org put more focus on "developing him"
He plays less good.
Flames org sends him to the ECHL
He never is heard from again.

 

[Snazu]

He plays good.
Flames org "develops him"
He plays less good.
Flames org put more focus on "developing him"
He plays less good.
Flames org sends him to the ECHL
He never is heard from again.

Speaking of never heard from again, what's the deal with Tyler Parsons?

 

[Mazatt]

I'm thinking that if he has a great year in Stockton how can you not give him an honest chance to play for the Flames next season?

I'm sure if he has an entire year with a .950 the Flames will give him an honest shake in training camp, but at the same time Vladar is locked in, and the pure numbers game dictates that his exemption from waivers makes it easier to keep him as injury depth. It'd have to be a very significant performance in training camp to justify not only starting over Vladar, but trading/losing him on waivers in order to have Wolf in the NHL early. I'd wager he also isn't the heir apparent just yet, and Vladar is still gonna be given a lot of runway as a young backup before making decisions

 

[Bounces R Way]

Hopefully to leave him the f*** alone for a couple years.

 

[Rubi]

Speaking of never heard from again, what's the deal with Tyler Parsons?

Don't care.
I cut him some slack because his mental health issues and the number of injuries he's had, despite his poor play.... but when he refused to get vaccinated.... well that's the straw that broke the camel's back as far as I'm concerned.

 

[CraigsList]

There will be an inevitable Markstrom injury (or even Vladar) either this year or next. We will get a great opportunity to take a look at the guy and see if he’s got what it takes to be a 1B. If management views him as the better player over Vladar (or if he’s asking for too much), then we can flip Vladar.

 

[Mobiandi]

Can you offer a timeline?... Lets assume he continues his stellar play in Stockton...

Maybe in 2 years he can push for a back-up role?

 

[Rubi]

Don't care.
I cut him some slack because his mental health issues and the number of injuries he's had, despite his poor play.... but when he refused to get vaccinated.... well that's the straw that broke the camel's back as far as I'm concerned.

I just read a report that said on Oct 23 Parsons was on IR with an ankle injury. Same old same old. The guy is a walking basket case.

 

[I Hate Blake Coleman]

Thats the whole premise of my thread.... Wolf plays so well in Stockton that it would be almost a crime to keep him there for a a 2nd year. I'm all for him playing this whole season for the Heat but if he has an outstanding year... I say give him an honest chance to make the Flames next season.

Is it exceptionality or a hot streak? In hockey, it's almost always the latter.

 

[Rubi]

Is it exceptionality or a hot streak? In hockey, it's almost always the latter.

I would usually agree but with Wolf excellence seems to be the norm. This guy wins.... everywhere.
We shall see though. I expect him to play the whole season for the Heat and end up with very good numbers. I doubt he'll continue with a .949 sv% but it wouldn't surprise me to see him put up .93x numbers.
He certainly wouldn't be the first 21 year old goalie (he turns 21 in April) to make it in the NHL and make an impact. 20 year old Spencer Knight, his WJHC Team USA team mate, is currently playing for the Panthers.

 

[InfinityIggy]

It would seem pretty simple to me. All our goalies after Markstrom are on short term deals. There is no one really blocking Wolf in the medium to long term. He plays this, perhaps next year as well in the AHL. Then he is competing for the backup role. Transition into a goalie tandem in 3-4 years as Markstroms contract comes to an end, Wolf takes over starting duties in ~5 years. Easy peasy.

 

[Rubi]

He had three appearances with the Heat last season and went 2-1-0 with a 3.24 and an .895.

Those stats are actually somewhat misleading.
His first game with the Heat on Feb 21, 2020 (the Heat's first game of the season btw) he got blown up allowing 5 goals on 11 SOG after 28 minutes and then got pulled. He ended up with a Sv% of .545 and a GAA of 10.65.
The next two games he played way better and had a .949 Sv%/ 2.00 GAA on Feb 24 and on Feb 26 he had a .963 Sv%/1.00 GAA.
In his last 7 pro games (he's played 8) he's never had a Sv% below .931 and a GAA higher than 2.01.