Dustin Wolf’s eyes were watery as he appeared before the media moments after his worst start in the NHL, a 6-3 loss to the lowly San Jose Sharks in February. It was only his seventh career start with the Calgary Flames and his first NHL game in two months and three days, but he looked heartbroken.
Wolf allowed three goals in 40 minutes of play, thanks to frequent errors from his defense. Even Chris Tanev, usually a calming presence on the back end, put the puck in his net. Wolf then allowed three more goals in the third period in a team performance devoid of anything positive.
When the Flames media relations staff approached Wolf after the game, he could have declined the scrimmage request. But he agreed and stood in the Flames locker room, visibly disappointed. When he spoke, his voice creaked.
“It sucks, but I have to look at this as a great opportunity to go back, see some fixes and go from there.”
Dustin Wolf speaks to the media following tonight’s loss to San Jose. pic.twitter.com/iamyItQqL8
– Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) February 16, 2024
Flames goalie coach Jason LaBarbera knows what it must have been like for Wolf. In his fifth NHL game, LaBarbera allowed seven goals in a loss to Pittsburgh as a member of the New York Rangers. Much like Wolf, he was then immediately sent to the minors.
“It was a bad game, I wasn’t good,” LaBarbera said. “And I played very well. That was the year I won the American League MVP. It’s like that. You have to go through this. You go back to the American League and you continue to work and move forward.
At every level, Wolf was told he was too small to play goalie. On every level, Wolf came out on top. Despite being the Flames’ seventh-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, Wolf has a decorated resume. He was twice named goaltender of the year in the Western Hockey League and once named goaltender of the year in the entire Canadian Hockey League. He also represented the United States twice at the World Junior Hockey Championship, winning a gold medal in 2021. As a professional, Wolf is the reigning AHL MVP and a two-time goaltender of the year.
Despite that resume, questions remain about Wolf’s height, standing at 6 feet, as he plays a position that seeks out increasingly taller prospects. The only other goaltender shorter than Wolf to play NHL games this season is Nashville’s Juuse Saros, at 5-foot-11.
“He’s a goaltender who has overcome a lot of obstacles along the way,” Flames head coach Ryan Huska said after the Sharks’ loss. “A lot of people said he couldn’t play in the WHL, but he played there. I didn’t get to play in the American League, I played there. So now he has the chance to play in the NHL.
Wolf’s departures mostly came when he was able to replace injured Jacob Markstrom or Dan Vladar. Markstrom suffered a lower-body injury on March 12 and Wolf was immediately recalled and played in relief of Vladar later that night against Colorado. He then got three straight starts and many thought that would be the end of his final stint in the NHL. Vladar was then shut down for the season due to hip surgery and Wolf will now share the net with Markstrom until the end of the season. This is an opportunity for Wolf to properly acclimate to life in the NHL.
“This is the place I want to be as much as possible,” Wolf said. “I’ve been up and down all year, so it hasn’t been a lot of time to get used to where my feet are. I know this is definitely the opportunity I was hoping for and waiting for. Now is your chance to take advantage.
Before the recent development, it was difficult for Wolf to manage these adjustments on and off the ice. When Wolf receives a phone call from assistant general manager Brad Pascall telling him he’s been called up to the NHL roster and needs to meet with his teammates in a specific city – as was the case in February when the Flames were in New York – the party begins. He tries to pack light, bringing clothes for dinner, loungewear for the hotel, and his pair of recovery boots. He saves as many episodes of “SWAT,” his latest obsession, as possible on Netflix before taking the plane.
But when the young goaltender steps on the ice for practices and morning skates, he does his best to adapt to the NHL’s quality players and their shots. But the learning sessions only lasted as long as Markström or Vladar were sick. Once either guard was healthy, Wolf would be sent back to the minors.
“I mean, it’s hard, right?” said Wolf. “You can never really settle where you are. There is definitely an adaptation period of a few days when you go up. And when you’re only there for a week and you’re on the road, or you’re not skating every day. This can be difficult. And I think that’s something that’s been a learning curve for me.
“At the end of the day, you can’t teach experience,” LaBarbera said. “Guys have to go through the whole process at this level. A lot of it is just getting used to the speed of the game. What you need to do in certain situations. The guys around you. The dressing room. The guys on the team and being comfortable with them. Many factors come into play in any young man. But especially when you go up and down often.
The best way for Wolf to keep these fans on his side is to play well every chance he gets. This means learning from these games and actively learning from them. The night he was “torched” by the Sharks – his wording, not ours – is a recent example. Wolf was honest in his self-assessment of that Sharks loss, pointing out what he could have done better on the goals he allowed. Even on the own goal he awarded to Tanev.
“I just didn’t have a good connection with my position,” Wolf said. “As simple as that. It’s a play from nothing that should have turned into a whistle and it turned into a goal against.
A notable adjustment for Wolf at the NHL level has been his positioning when manning the goal. Wolf should generally play higher in his territory to help reduce shooting angles and give fewer attackers to shoot at, among other adjustments highlighted by AthleticismJesse Granger, goaltending expert. But in the minors, he can play deeper in goal and limit his movement due to the quality shooting in the league.
“It’s a learning process,” Wolf said. “Every guy is incredibly talented. If you don’t participate, they’ll burn you.
Exactly one month after the Sharks’ loss, Wolf had the opportunity to apply one of those lessons.
Wolf faced Vegas Golden Knights forward Ivan Barbashev who had a breakaway and a chance to give his team the lead in the third. Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore popped Barbashev with a wide pass from his zone. Wolf met Barbashev from the top of his territory and followed him as the Russian got closer. After the attacker faked his backhand before launching into his forehand, he attempted to beat Wolf to his blocker’s side.
The young goalkeeper was up to the task. Calgary responded in kind when they went on the attack.
Pickles doesn’t give up a puck 💪 pic.twitter.com/7PLxPPhLcQ
– Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) March 15, 2024
Wolf’s save was the best of 28 he made in a 4-1 win over the Golden Knights, and it led to Blake Coleman’s game-winning goal.
“(Barbashev) kind of threads the needle between our Ds,” Wolf said. “I thought he probably had too many innings of batting. I just tried to stay up and stay with him and it worked.
“They have great looks and the game can end completely differently if Wolfie doesn’t make the save,” Coleman said. “It never seemed like there was a chance.” He stayed with him.
Wolf admitted he didn’t get the results he wanted when he was sent off after the Sharks lost with just two wins in their last seven AHL appearances and losing their last four games. That makes the back-to-back wins he had against Vegas and Montreal all the more impressive. Even in a 5-2 loss to the Washington Capitals where he allowed four goals on 32 shots, Wolf’s attitude was different from that of the Sharks. The young goalie even found humor in allowing two goals to Alex Ovechkin in the loss, becoming the 174th different goalie to allow a goal to the Russian forward.
“I’m sure there will be a few more,” Wolf said.
Wolf still has some struggles to endure, but his quiet confidence shone through during his recent stay with the team — a sign that Markstrom’s competitiveness has rubbed off on Wolf given that the young guard has closely observed the work ethic and the veteran’s game. This is a complete 180 degree turnaround from that Sharks loss. This is exactly what Flames fans want to see from Wolf.
But what more will the Flames see after this season? Wolf remains waiver-exempt next year, meaning the Flames are technically in no rush to keep him at the NHL level. He is also a pending restricted free agent with no arbitration rights. However, Wolf has shown all he can at the AHL level and Markstrom’s future is uncertain after much trade speculation. Markstrom’s displeasure with the Flames front office’s handling of the situation also suggests there may be a need for amends between him and general manager Craig Conroy. But it’s up to Markstrom whether he’ll waive his no-move clause.
If the Flames want Wolf to play more minutes in the NHL, that likely means a goaltender will have to be removed from the roster. Vladar is a cheaper option for teams but is coming off a difficult season and hip surgery. Markstrom is the better goaltender, but he has a higher salary of $6 million. But if Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald’s comments are any indication, there could be at least one interested team in the running for the Flames’ number one goalie this offseason.
Until then, Wolf will continue to enjoy his time in the NHL by learning. His time in goal could happen soon, and it will be a topic of discussion this offseason and beyond.
“Any kid trying to play in the league has to go through a process,” LaBarbera said. “He did a great job, obviously, in the American League. It’s not easy for a young guy when there are a lot of ups and downs, especially when as a goalie he’s trying to get used to the speed, the shots and the traffic. It’s very different at this level than in the American League.
“He’s got a few games under his belt, he just needs to keep growing.”
(Top photo by Jacob Markstrom and Dustin Wolf: Gerry Thomas/NHLI via Getty Images)