It is no secret to fans of the Calgary Flames that the goaltending duo of Dan Vladar and Jacob Markstrom did not get the job done in 2022-23. Markstrom regressed from a year prior, and both goalies ended the season with a sub-.900 save percentage (SV%). On top of that, it seemed that they lacked the ability to make clutch saves when it mattered most; had they been able to, the Flames likely would have made the playoffs. There is reason, however, to believe that they will have a much steadier situation in net this season. It seems possible – if not likely – that Markstrom will have a bounce-back year, and Vladar will likely be replaced by prospect Dustin Wolf, who has shown a ton of potential in his young career so far. With this in mind, Flames fans should be excited about their duo in net this season.
Wolf Has Potential
After a stellar second season in the American Hockey League (AHL), Wolf is set to make the jump to the NHL. Despite the fact that he has only played one game at the NHL level, Flames fans are likely familiar with the 22-year-old netminder. In each of the last two seasons, he won the award for best goaltender in the AHL, winning the league’s MVP award this past year. Unsurprisingly, his numbers during his MVP season were outstanding, posting a 2.09 goals-against average (GAA) and a .932 SV%. In his one game at the NHL level, he faced 23 shots and allowed just one goal. In short, he has yet to look out of place at any level.
Like at any other position, goalies often take some time to adjust to NHL play. The game moves faster and players are stronger and more skilled than in the AHL. Wolf’s spectacular play for the Calgary Wranglers will not necessarily immediately translate to success with the Flames, and fans should be patient if he has a few bad starts at the beginning of his career. While it is not an impossibility, we should not expect him to come in and immediately contend for a Vezina Trophy. Fans should, however, be excited for the young goalie to start his NHL career and help their team win games. He has dominated at every level he has played thus far in his young career, and he certainly could be a major asset for the Flames this season.
Markstrom Can Return to 2021-22 Form
In 2021-22, Markstrom was a major reason the Flames had a successful season that resulted in a playoff appearance. In 2022-23, he was a major reason the same could not be said. Despite that, there is reason to believe that this season will look more like two seasons ago than last year for the Swedish goalie. It was apparent that he had the yips last season: he simply lost his confidence. It likely didn’t help that his head coach was outspoken about the fact that he too had lost confidence in the star goalie.
Related: 3 Flames Who Can Bounce Back in 2023-24
The good news for Flames fans is that Markstrom’s poor play was not the result of a physical injury or lack of shape, and he gets a fresh start with a new head coach. Many great goaltenders have rebounded from stretches where they lost their confidence. Markstrom will look to do just that this season and there is no reason to believe he will not be able to.
Fans Should Be Excited About Flames’ Goalies
Flames fans should be looking forward to watching the play of their goaltenders this coming season. Wolf has been dominant at every level, and he looked comfortable in his only start for the Flames last year. All signs indicate that he is ready to make the leap to the NHL level, and he could certainly be an asset for Calgary in 2023-24. If he plays well it will take some pressure off Markstrom, who will look to regain his confidence and return to the Vezina-caliber play that we all know he is capable of. Between these two, the Flames should see much better play in net this coming season than they did last season.
