Calgary Flames fans already love Dustin Wolf, but those on the outside don’t appear to be nearly as high on him.
ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski recently talked with several coaches, analytics gurus, former players, and others about all 32 teams’ goaltending duos this season. The Flames did not fare well, ranking 29th on the list.
In defence of the list, expectations were low for the Flames crease following Jacob Markstrom’s departure. After all, Dustin Wolf was entering the season with very little experience, and Dan Vladar struggled in each of the past two seasons. With that said, the number of people who continue to doubt Wolf’s future in the NHL stands out as a surprise.
“I’m still not sure he’s an NHL guy now,” one goalie analyst told Wyshynski. “I think they’re going to give him all the opportunity, but I’m not sure that he is a full-time NHL guy.”
That’s quite a sentiment, given what Wolf has proven to this point in his career. The 23-year-old won the goaltender of the year award in each of his first two AHL seasons, along with a league MVP in year two. His numbers in 2023-24 were the worst of his three years in the AHL, yet they were still highly impressive, with a 2.45 goals against average (GAA) and a .922 save percentage (SV%).
Given what he’s accomplished, it feels somewhat disrespectful to say Wolf doesn’t have what it takes to be a full-time NHL netminder, though being doubted is nothing new for him.
Wolf fell to the seventh round of the 2019 draft due to his rather small, 6-foot stature. The doubts date back even further, as many didn’t think he was even cut out to play in the WHL.
After two more excellent seasons after being drafted, several others doubted that he would have success in the pro ranks. He has since proven that notion wrong in a big way, yet the doubts continue to linger.
“By no means is height going to limit me in what I’m going to do in my career,” Wolf said in a Sportsnet piece just ahead of the 2019 draft.
That chip on his shoulder has helped Wolf get this far in his career and isn’t about to stop him now. There are and will continue to be doubters, but perhaps that’s the best thing for Flames fans, as he seems to love proving people wrong.
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