[News] Wolf named AHL MVP and goaltender of the year

[blankall]

Would ideally like to see Wolf getting 10-15 games in the NHL, while still starting about half of the Heat's games. Obviously, if Wolf is killing it give him more games. In that event, Vladar will probably be pretty easy to move, as teams are always looking for stable goalie options.

[JD]

Yup there's no market for Vladar right now. Teams have their tandems, love them or hate them, and they're capped out anyway.

The only option is to wait until camp and perhaps the season get going, hope that both Wolf and Vladar play well. Inevitably, some other team's goalie will get injured or fall on their face and the market will open.

I think the most unfortunate thing is that Edmonton is likely the team that could use Vladar the most. They're capped out of course. Toronto is in a nearly identical situation with the bonus that we know their GM likes Vladar.

[ForeverFlameFan]

Originally Posted by dobbles

Why even bother keeping him under contract if you aren't going to play him??? I'm not even being hyperbolic here. Dude has over 6000 minutes in the AHL where he has shown he is the best at that level. So if you send him back down, why? What is the point? What will he learn? That no matter how much he succeeds that he is not good enough to crack the tandem that had the 8th worst save percentage in the league????

You leave people in the AHL to grow and develop. To get used to playing in a mens league. To get used to the travel. To get used to the longer seasons. Wolf has learned all that and destroyed everyone while doing it.

Let's be honest here; there isn't a whole lot to be excited about for you guys these last 12 months. But you could have a franchise goalie in your midst and are too afraid to give him a try. Is he a sure shot? Of course not. But lets go ahead and hold him back because we are worried about asset management of Dan frickin Vladar??????? I really feel like I am in ####oo land listening to you guys.

And great on Wolf if he has been involved in his development. And even more on him that he would be willing to keep developing. That doesn't make it a good idea. I've said his before but think about this in any context but sports. If I was a salesperson and was breaking records every year for my districts, would you keep me from the fortune 500 clients because the 2 sales people that cover those have been mediocre at best? If you keep telling me as a salesman that I need more time to improve, I'm hitting indeed to find a new gig. The only difference here is Wolf is stuck.

So let me get this straight, it's an embarassment we don't want to throw a very promising goaltender to the wolves? Wolf is going to get his time, we are going to work him in. We are fortunate to have the Wranglers in Calgary to allow him to start games in Calgary and without hectic travel. He should be hitting up the road games with the Wranglers and playing more home games than not. Or whatever management wants to do.

The biggest concern I have with your brilliant idea of just slotting him in as backup is the potential injury concern to Markstrom. Assuming Vladar is gone, since he is the easiest to move, let's assume Markstrom is injured. That leaves us with Wolf and Dansk as our goalies. I am not comfortable with that tandem at all. Whether Wolf is one of the best goalie prospects or not, you need some sheltering when first entering the league. How do you think Saaros became one of the best? Eased in by Rinne. Shesterkin/Lundqvist, remeber that? Let us do the same with Markstrom and Wolf, Wolf will eventually surpass him if he continues his current trajectory, and he will surpass him rather quick too. Right now we need to focus on either utilizing Vladar as the backup and a trade chip for another desperate team, because injuries do happen. Not all teams have the luxury of a top goalie prospect more than capable of playing the backup spot.

[Locke]

I say just put him in Vladar's jersey and nobody would notice the difference!

Hijinx? What hijinx?

[Kipper_3434]

Originally Posted by blankall

Would ideally like to see Wolf getting 10-15 games in the NHL, while still starting about half of the Heat's games. Obviously, if Wolf is killing it give him more games. In that event, Vladar will probably be pretty easy to move, as teams are always looking for stable goalie options.

LOL he already killed the AHL, I would rather not watch the best goalie prospect in the world play in a league he is too good for. 10-15 games is what he should have got last season. Deserves 25-30 imo

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by jayswin

I don't think they need to, imo. This isn't the Treliving three headed monster with three NHL goalies needing to be juggled constantly.

This is a hot prospect who will get thrown in here and there at the NHL level. If he takes the reigns, Conroy makes a decision on one of the two veterans (likely Vladar due to contract) and we're good. Or Wolf shows he needs more seasoning and he's fine being a star in the AHL for the time being.

Nothing to address right now, imo. They can watch it play out, no problem.

It's a little easier to juggle with the AHL team in Calgary as well. Though 3 headed monster still means less reps in practice.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by jayswin

I don't think they need to, imo. This isn't the Treliving three headed monster with three NHL goalies needing to be juggled constantly.

This is a hot prospect who will get thrown in here and there at the NHL level. If he takes the reigns, Conroy makes a decision on one of the two veterans (likely Vladar due to contract) and we're good. Or Wolf shows he needs more seasoning and he's fine being a star in the AHL for the time being.

Nothing to address right now, imo. They can watch it play out, no problem.

Originally Posted by Locke

I say just put him in Vladar's jersey and nobody would notice the difference!

Hijinx? What hijinx?

No one will know. Except when he trips over the jersey when he skates.

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by Kipper_3434

LOL he already killed the AHL, I would rather not watch the best goalie prospect in the world play in a league he is too good for. 10-15 games is what he should have got last season. Deserves 25-30 imo

If we were somehow able to move Markstom out, then I'd be interested in a 50/50 Wolf/Vladar split for the first half of the season just to see who wants it more. Whomever wins is the starter in a 60/40 split for the last half and then the end of season winner starts the playoffs.

Or move Vladar out and make it a 60/40 Markstrom/Wolf split right out the gate, and see if Wolf just takes over the net by the end of the season?

Either way, I agree that it's time for Wolf to play in the bigs. The key word is play though, not ride the bench.

[Winsor_Pilates]

He'll get games.
If he's great, he'll get more games.
If he's incredible, he'll get most of the games.

Of all things Flames right now, this is one area I'm least worried and just excited to watch it play out.
They're not going to bury him in the AHL for no reason.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

No one will know. Except when he trips over the jersey when he skates.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Originally Posted by Locke

I say just put him in Vladar's jersey and nobody would notice the difference!

Hijinx? What hijinx?

Except the whole "when did Dan Vladar get so ####ing good?" part

[dobbles]

Originally Posted by ForeverFlameFan

So let me get this straight, it's an embarassment we don't want to throw a very promising goaltender to the wolves? Wolf is going to get his time, we are going to work him in. We are fortunate to have the Wranglers in Calgary to allow him to start games in Calgary and without hectic travel. He should be hitting up the road games with the Wranglers and playing more home games than not. Or whatever management wants to do.

The biggest concern I have with your brilliant idea of just slotting him in as backup is the potential injury concern to Markstrom. Assuming Vladar is gone, since he is the easiest to move, let's assume Markstrom is injured. That leaves us with Wolf and Dansk as our goalies. I am not comfortable with that tandem at all. Whether Wolf is one of the best goalie prospects or not, you need some sheltering when first entering the league. How do you think Saaros became one of the best? Eased in by Rinne. Shesterkin/Lundqvist, remeber that? Let us do the same with Markstrom and Wolf, Wolf will eventually surpass him if he continues his current trajectory, and he will surpass him rather quick too. Right now we need to focus on either utilizing Vladar as the backup and a trade chip for another desperate team, because injuries do happen. Not all teams have the luxury of a top goalie prospect more than capable of playing the backup spot.

He could start the season as the number 1 and it wouldn't be throwing him to the wolves. Because he just spent 2 years dominating the best developmental league the NHL has to offer. There is literally, and yes I literally mean literally, no other path forward in his development right now than to play regularly in the NHL. Am I advocating he start 50 or 60 games this year? Of course not. What I am advocating is that every day Wolf spends in the AHL is a waste. of. time. There is nothing left to be learned there. So either s%$t or get off the pot. Everyone talks about roster management and how important it is to figure out what to do with Vladar, yet is it not monumentally more important to better manage the cost controlled years of Wolfs career? Assuming Wolf pans out, are you really going to be happy it took 3 pro years to even get him into a few games? And if he doesn't pan out, might as well find out now and stop trying to push things down the road.

And you name off some mentoring examples. Ok that's great. What mentoring is Wolf getting in the AHL? So we've got Rinne/Saaros, Lundqvist/Sherterkin, and your comparable is Dansk/Wolf? Because that was the older goalie that Wolf played with last year. Last year should have been his 'ease him into the NHL a bit' year especially when they had a nice opportunity with Markstroms child being born. But hey, I guess since things have been going great, why rock the boat???

[dobbles]

Originally Posted by Winsor_Pilates

He'll get games.
If he's great, he'll get more games.
If he's incredible, he'll get most of the games.

Of all things Flames right now, this is one area I'm least worried and just excited to watch it play out.
They're not going to bury him in the AHL for no reason.

Yeah, that definitely didn't happen last year or anything....

[Inferno]

Originally Posted by dobbles

Yeah, that definitely didn't happen last year or anything....

That was planned. He knew he was spending atleast two years in the AHL.

If they do this he will play the games he's scheduled to. The only difference is atleast most of the games he would have been sitting on the bench he will be playing for the Wranglers. I don't see the big issue with it as it keeps him active. And I doubt it will last the whole season.

[VilleN]

Originally Posted by dobbles

If they send Wolf down simply because they can, it will be an embarrassment for the franchise. There is nothing left for Wolf to do in the AHL. You guys have to find a way to get rid of Vladar and avoid the goalie mess.

Uhhh but what if he doesn’t play well and needs more time in the A? It’s not like they’ll send him down if he’s the second coming of Kipper.

[Winsor_Pilates]

Originally Posted by dobbles

Yeah, that definitely didn't happen last year or anything....

OMG!! he'll be in the AHL forever!!!

Not like anything has changed... just the coach, GM, progression of the plan for his career curve, different plan for the teams makeup overall, pushing more youth into the team...

Yes, this year will be exactly the same as last year.
Great logic.

[Hot_Flatus]

Originally Posted by ForeverFlameFan

The biggest concern I have with your brilliant idea of just slotting him in as backup is the potential injury concern to Markstrom. Assuming Vladar is gone, since he is the easiest to move, let's assume Markstrom is injured. That leaves us with Wolf and Dansk as our goalies. I am not comfortable with that tandem at all. Whether Wolf is one of the best goalie prospects or not, you need some sheltering when first entering the league. How do you think Saaros became one of the best? Eased in by Rinne. Shesterkin/Lundqvist, remeber that? Let us do the same with Markstrom and Wolf, Wolf will eventually surpass him if he continues his current trajectory, and he will surpass him rather quick too. Right now we need to focus on either utilizing Vladar as the backup and a trade chip for another desperate team, because injuries do happen. Not all teams have the luxury of a top goalie prospect more than capable of playing the backup spot.

These teams weren't pushing highly regarded goaltender prospects down the board behind what is essentially a career backup in Vladar. Saaros and Shesterkin both had good years as starters in the AHL and came in as full time backups the following year. With 3 goalies this season, Wolf would be lucky to get 12 starts at the NHL level, and that is simply not good enough from a development stance and from the chance to maximize his RFA years.

Even if Wolf had to be the #1 guy due to an injury next year, does it really matter? I'd highly doubt he'd be any worse than the goaltending the team got from Markstrom and Vladar last year.

People need to stop assuming the worst and come to grips with the fact that an exceptional young goalie can and will rise to the occasion if you show confidence in him. There's a lot more to lose IMHO by not moving him along the path to significant starts in the NHL this season than there is by giving him spot starts.

[CliffFletcher]

Shesterkin did not play his first NHL game until he was 24. That season he played 12 games.

At age 22, Helleybuck played his first 26 games in the NHL.

His age 22 year, Oettinger played 29 games in the NHL.

At age 22, Demko had not played an NHL game. In his age 23 year, he played 10.

By the time he was 22, Saros had played 22 games in the NHL. The following year, he played 26 games.

Wolf just turned 22. If he gets around 20-25 NHL games, his development will not be out of whack with with other highly-touted young goalies. If he outplays Vladar, the Flames coaches won’t have a problem giving him those games. With Sutter gone, Markstrom isn’t getting 59 games again.

[FormerPresJamesTaylor]

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by ForeverFlameFan

So let me get this straight, it's an embarassment we don't want to throw a very promising goaltender to the wolves? Wolf is going to get his time, we are going to work him in. We are fortunate to have the Wranglers in Calgary to allow him to start games in Calgary and without hectic travel. He should be hitting up the road games with the Wranglers and playing more home games than not. Or whatever management wants to do.

The biggest concern I have with your brilliant idea of just slotting him in as backup is the potential injury concern to Markstrom. Assuming Vladar is gone, since he is the easiest to move, let's assume Markstrom is injured. That leaves us with Wolf and Dansk as our goalies. I am not comfortable with that tandem at all. Whether Wolf is one of the best goalie prospects or not, you need some sheltering when first entering the league. How do you think Saaros became one of the best? Eased in by Rinne. Shesterkin/Lundqvist, remeber that? Let us do the same with Markstrom and Wolf, Wolf will eventually surpass him if he continues his current trajectory, and he will surpass him rather quick too. Right now we need to focus on either utilizing Vladar as the backup and a trade chip for another desperate team, because injuries do happen. Not all teams have the luxury of a top goalie prospect more than capable of playing the backup spot.

This is a veteran team with a veteran defense that missed the playoffs by one game and allowed the 3rd fewest shots in the league.

Wolf needs to play 30 games in the NHL this season, at minimum.

He’s 22.

Price had been in the show two years by that age.

Don’t gift him the net, but let’s not pretend this is some Penguins-starting-18-year-Old Fleury as a bottom feeder scenario.

If they have any aspirations of being in the hunt for a playoff spot, they need him.