Expectations for all the Flames and Wranglers goalies going into the 2025–26 season

The biggest story of last season came from between the pipes with Dustin Wolf, who saved what was otherwise an underwhelming season for the Calgary Flames. His battle for the starting spot and, eventually, the Calder Trophy were some of the most talked-about stories within the community. So why don’t we take a peek behind the curtain of the Flames’ goaltending depth chart to see if we can gauge some expectations and potential storylines heading into next season?

Calgary Flames

Dustin Wolf

Age: 24
Expected role: NHL starter
Ceiling: Vezina candidate
Floor: Average NHL starter

After the season that Dustin Wolf just had, it should go without saying that he is at the top of the food chain here in Calgary. The athletic and quick playstyle that Wranglers fans had seen develop over the course of three years translated perfectly to the NHL level, and he quickly made it clear that the competition between Dan Vladar and himself for the starting job was not going to be a close one. He played 53 games, putting up a SV% of .910 and a GAA of 2.64, not bad for someone who many labeled as being too short to make it in the pros.

Expectations are high for year two and understandably so. Wolf has very rarely ever taken a step back in either his junior and AHL career; it’s not unreasonable to think that he could blow all our expectations out of the water all over again. The only reason for any concern would just be the volatility of his position. It is very hard to find consistently elite goaltenders across multiple seasons in the modern NHL.

Dustin Wolf has the potential to put up a Vezina-caliber season for the Flames this year, but just knowing how things normally go historically, a sophomore slump is not out of the question. He is going to have the next 15 years to potentially get his name on the Vezina Trophy. I don’t think anyone should be getting mad if he doesn’t get it on his first real try.

Ivan Prosvetov

Age: 26
Expected role: NHL backup
Ceiling: Dan Vladar
Floor: AHL starter

Ivan Prosvetov was signed out of the KHL as Calgary’s replacement for Dan Vladar. His spot in the NHL is not set in stone. Devin Cooley will be ready to give him a good fight for it, but Prosvetov is currently the favourite to get the job. The expectations for Prosvetov going into this upcoming season will not be high. Assuming he stays in the NHL all year, he probably won’t get more than 20 games or so.

The conversation around Prosvetov only changes if one of two things happens. If Wolf struggles, his role would grow, and we could see him take a similar workload to what Vladar did last year. If Prosvetov struggles in his return to the NHL, it would not be shocking if we see him get some time with the Wranglers, which would give Devin Cooley a chance to stake his claim at an NHL role. One thing is for certain: Prosvetov will probably not have much leeway. There are plenty of talented goalies underneath him who would take his spot in a heartbeat,

Calgary Wranglers

Devin Cooley

Age: 28
Expected role: AHL starter
Ceiling: NHL backup
Floor: AHL backup

Devin Cooley is in a bit of an interesting spot going into this season. He is coming off an up-and-down season with the Wranglers. He played in 46 games, putting up .905 SV% and a 2.94 GAA. Not bad numbers, but with how strong he started, it is disappointing that he is going to more than likely be back in the AHL.

With Dan Vladar now on the Philadelphia Flyers, that NHL backup spot is not impossible, but it won’t be easy. If Prosvetov struggles, Cooley could jump him, but if he struggles, the new guys will be gunning for his starts.

Owen Say

Age: 24
Expected role: AHL backup
Ceiling: AHL backup
Floor: ECHL starter
Played 2024–25 with: Notre Dame (NCAA)

Owen Say is the newest name out of the bunch. He was signed back in March after a strong year for Notre Dame in the NCAA. Say played his junior seasons for the BCHL’s Salmon Arm Silverbacks, winning BCHL goalie of the year in 2021–22. After that, he would play the next three seasons with Mercyhurst University and Notre Dame, earning his opportunity to go pro with the Wranglers.

It is a bit harder to gauge expectations for these last two since neither has played a pro game before. You could probably bet on the fact that there won’t be an immediate pressure to succeed. One of Cooley and Prosvetsov is already set up to be the Wranglers’ starter. His biggest competition will be Arsenii Sergeev, as they both gun for the backup spot. Loser of that will most likely be rewarded with a trip down to the Rapid City Rush of the ECHL.

Arsenii Sergeev

Age: 22
Expected role: AHL backup
Ceiling: AHL backup
Floor: ECHL Starter
Played 2024–25 with: Penn State (NCAA)

Arsenii Sergeev is the youngest of the pack, playing one year in the USHL with the Sioux Falls Stampede and three seasons in the NCAA with the University of Connecticut and Penn State. He was drafted in the 7th round out of the NAHL in 2021 after playing for the Shreveport Mudbugs. Last season at Penn State, Sergeev played in 33 games, grabbing a .919 SV% and a 2.54 GAA.

As mentioned earlier, the Wranglers will most likely be having a competition to figure out who their backup goaltender is going to be. With both players having similar backgrounds, it’s hard to predict who is going to come out on top. The loser will be spending their first pro season in the ECHL. It’s not a bad start, but neither are going to be volunteering to spend the year in Rapid City. The backup spots in both leagues are going to be the most competitive spots on the goaltending depth chart. We’ll just have to wait and see who they give it to.