“You don’t understand what it’s like to be a professional athlete” -man, who is also not an NHLer. This right here is a peak Internet forum post.
Who said bust? Terrible logic I know, saying if a guy isn’t better than our backup who is struggling, then he probably shouldn’t have played this year more than he has. It’s not like that means he’d by logic also struggle, and in a position that’s 80% mental that wouldn’t be a bad idea at all.
Wolf is the best goalie prospect in the NHL. He would also be the youngest goalie in the NHL, and pretty much every goalie within a year of him has been eviscerated this season. It’s ok for him to potentially not be ready. If he plays and outplays Vladar thats amazing, let him force the team’s hand to not be able to send him down. But yes, if he can’t outplay our backup who isn’t playing great, probably means he wasn’t ready this year yet. Believe it or not results in the AHL or in training camps only earn you the chance, it’s your play in the NHL that determines if you stay.
Regardless, we have the potential to see some of the best goaltending performances of the season in December, and it’s entirely based on a motivational standpoint. Vladar should know that this stretch will pretty much decide whether his tenure with the Flames (and having a guaranteed NHL job) continues, and for Wolf it means if he ever has to play an AHL game and earn an AHL salary again. Both should be highly motivated, and I wouldn’t hold a poor performance against Wolf as much but a poor showing by Vladar would speak volumes towards his career trajectory.
