The Calgary Flames have sneaky depth in net, regardless of what happens with Jacob Markstrom

Arguably the biggest question for the Calgary Flames during the 2024 off-season is figuring out the future for veteran goaltender Jacob Markstrom. But as the Flames prepare for the 2024 NHL Draft and take stock of their reserve list at each position, they have quietly amassed a decent amount of depth in net – regardless of Markstrom’s future.

Here’s a quick rundown of where the Flames stand in goal a month out from the draft.

A goaltending snapshot

Under team control for 2024-25:

• Jacob Markstrom
• Dan Vladar
• Waltteri Ignatjew
• Dustin Wolf (restricted free agent)

Unsigned draft picks:

• Daniil Chechelev
• Arsenii Sergeev
• Yegor Yegorov

Unrestricted free agents:

• Oscar Dansk

Recently drafted goaltenders

Since 2014, the Flames have drafted six goaltenders.

They selected Mason McDonald in 2014 (second round). McDonald played three seasons in the Flames system on an entry-level deal, but primarily spent time in the ECHL and played just five games in the AHL. He wasn’t qualified as a restricted free agent when his ELC expired.

The Flames selected Tyler Parsons in 2016 (second round). Parsons spent five seasons in the Flames system – his entry-level deal and then two more one-year deals – but he struggled with injuries and never was able to stay healthy long enough to gain any traction in his pro career.

Dustin Wolf was selected in 2019 (seventh round). He’s easily had the most post-draft success of any Flames goaltending prospect in decades, being named the WHL’s top goaltender twice and the AHL’s top goaltender twice. He played 17 games in the NHL in 2023-24 and showed flashes of brilliance, though his game also showed some rough spots from time to time. He’s a pending restricted free agent.

In 2020, the Flames selected Daniil Chechelev in the fourth round. Chechelev spent two seasons in North America on AHL contracts, primarily playing in the ECHL. With Wolf and Oscar Dansk ahead of him in the minor league pecking order there really wasn’t anywhere for him to play in the AHL, and so Chechelev ended up heading back to Russia last season. The Flames retain his rights indefinitely – there’s no transfer agreement between the NHL and Russia, so rights don’t expire – but he’s signed with the KHL’s HC Vityaz for next season.

The Flames made two late-round goalie picks in 2021 and 2023. In 2021, they selected Arsenii Sergeev in the seventh round and in 2023 they selected Yegor Yegorov in the sixth round. Sergeev is a college goalie and transferred to Penn State for his junior year, while Yegorov remains under contract for 2024-25 in the Dynamo Moskva system. Time will tell when either of them will move into the Flames’ entry-level system.

The rundown

If you assume that Markstrom is back and everything is hunky-dory, the Flames have Markstrom and Vladar in the NHL and Wolf and Ignatjew in the AHL. It seems quite likely that Dansk leaves the organization as a free agent.

If Vladar bounces back from his hip surgery, him and Markstrom are a pretty good tandem. Ignatjew hasn’t played any North American hockey, but he’s performed well in Europe and he and Wolf could make a pretty effective AHL tandem. Wolf is waiver exempt for 2024-25 – his last season of waiver exemption – so the club has a little bit of flexibility. From a developmental standpoint, though, it’s probably time for Wolf to be a full-time NHLer. We’ll see what happens there. If Markstrom ends up being traded elsewhere, the depth obviously changes, but Vladar and Wolf at the NHL level could be effective.

Behind that foursome, the Flames have a couple interesting projects in Sergeev and Yegorov. Sergeev has looked really strong at times in the NCAA, but has yet to string strong games here and there into a monster run. Yegorov has performed well in Russian junior hockey, but has yet to dip his toe into the pro level.

The general pattern for the Flames over the past few seasons has been to select a goalie every year or two, usually in the late rounds. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Flames roll the dice on another goalie this year, especially with their sixth-round pick, to maintain their reserve list depth.