"He looks more comfortable": Flames encouraged by Wolf's recent stretch
The Calgary Flames are growing increasingly confident in Dustin Wolf, thanks to his recent stretch of play.
As many expected, Wolf will be given the start in tonight’s season finale versus the San Jose Sharks. He and Jacob Markstrom have essentially been rotating to close out the season, and overall, the 23-year-old has fared well. He comes into tonight having won each of his past three starts in games versus the Sharks, Anaheim Ducks, and Arizona Coyotes.
“I think he looks more comfortable,” Huska explained. “That’s probably the same for most younger players that are trying to find themselves or find their way.
“When you’re in there more often, you just feel like, ‘Hey, I have it going, and I don’t have to wait until my next start. I know it’s coming fairly shortly.’ I feel like he’s been looking more comfortable in there, and he’s playing some good hockey for us.”
Regarded as one of the Flames’ top prospects, Wolf is finally being given the opportunity many feel he has deserved for some time. The seventh-round pick in the 2019 draft has been named the AHL’s goalie of the year in each of the past two seasons and won the league MVP in the most recent.
Though his 3.30 goals against average (GAA) and .890 save percentage (SV%) don’t jump off the page, he has done a solid job weathering the storm behind a defensive corps that has been majorly impacted by the losses of Chris Tanev and Noah Hanifin.
It will involve a decision to be made on either Markstrom or Vladar, but the expectation is that Wolf will be with the Flames for the entirety of the 2024-25 season, where he will get the chance to really show fans what he is capable of. Regardless of who winds up being his partner, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him work in an evenly split tandem.
Coleman returns for Flames
Wolf drawing the start won’t be the only lineup change for the Flames, either. After missing the last four games with an upper-body injury, Blake Coleman is healthy and will draw in tonight.
Coleman is having a career year with 29 goals and 52 points through 77 games. Given that he is just one shy of 30, head coach Ryan Huska told reporters at today’s morning skate that the 32-year-old has been pushing for the training staff to let him get back in the lineup.
“He argued with [head athletic therapist] Kent [Kobelka] for a long time to try and get in a lot sooner,” said a grinning Huska. “That’s just the way he is. He typically will play through everything, but we were making sure that he was in the right place. He’s totally ready to go, and we’re excited that he’s going to have the opportunity.”
Though playoffs are out of the question, tonight’s game could have an impact on the standings and, subsequently, the Flames’ draft lottery odds. They are currently tied at 79 points apiece with the Seattle Kraken but hold the tiebreaker, meaning they are currently sitting 24th while the Kraken are 25th.
If the standings remain the same, the Flames will have a 64.4% chance of selecting ninth overall at this year’s draft. If they fall behind the Kraken, they will instead have a 54.4% chance at picking eighth.
The Kraken are facing off against the Minnesota Wild tonight, with puck drop set for 5 pm MT. Meanwhile, puck drop between the Flames and Sharks will be at 7 pm MT.
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