Most franchise-changing draft picks are selected in the top-five or top-10, not at 214th overall in the seventh round of the NHL Entry Draft. However, the Calgary Flames‘ 2019 seventh-round pick, Dustin Wolf, appears to be a franchise-changing goaltender after a phenomenal rookie season in 2024-25, where he finished as a Calder Memorial Trophy finalist.
Related: 5 Reasons the Calgary Flames Will Be Better in 2025-26
Wolf made his NHL debut in the Flames’ final game of the 2022-23 season against the San Jose Sharks, making 22 saves on 23 shots for his first career victory. He struggled in his first 15 games of 2023-24 before finally cracking the Flames’ roster out of training camp in 2024-25. In his first full season in the NHL, he finished seventh in goals saved above expected, 11th in save percentage and 11th in high-danger save percentage among goalies to play 1000 minutes last season.
Not only was Wolf one of the most impactful rookies last season, but he was also one of the most impactful goalies in the NHL. Here’s a look at his three best performances from 2024-25.
Wolf’s First Career Shutout
Wolf had an excellent start to the season, winning his first two starts and saving 68 of 72 shots against the Philadelphia Flyers and Chicago Blackhawks. However, his first truly memorable game was on Nov. 11, when Wolf shut out the Nashville Predators, resulting in a 2-0 win for the Flames.
While the Predators finished last season as the second-worst offensive team in the NHL, in this mid-November contest, they put the pressure on the Flames. Wolf finished the night with 29 saves, nine of which were made on high-danger shots and another 10 were made on medium-danger chances.
The shutout wasn’t the only thing that made this performance special. Before the season, expectations for the Flames were not high, but following their 2-0 win over the Predators, Calgary found itself in a playoff spot, and many started to believe that Wolf had made the team a potential playoff contender.
Wolf Shuts Out Stanley Cup Champions
Following their 2023-24 Stanley Cup victory, the Florida Panthers were undeniably the best team in the NHL, and after loading up on talent at the 2025 trade deadline, they re-solidified that spot by winning their second straight Stanley Cup.
The first time the Flames matched up with the Panthers in 2024-25, they were one point out of a Western Conference wild-card spot heading into a Dec. 14, 2024, contest at the Scotiabank Saddledome. With the Flames very much in playoff contention, a game versus the defending Cup champions was a great measuring stick to see how the Flames measured up against the best team in the league.
On that night, the Panthers dominated the puck, finishing with a plus-18 shot attempt advantage. However, the pressure from the Panthers did not faze Wolf. He shut out the Panthers, saving all 32 shots, including seven high-danger shots, seven medium-danger chances and 2.61 goals saved above expected.
This 3-0 victory was a significant confidence builder for Wolf. He was already building an impressive resume, but following this win, his confidence soared to a new level, and he led the Flames to a 10-3-1 record in his starts through the rest of December and January.
Wolf Shuts Down Presidents’ Trophy Winners
Wolf recorded his third shutout of the season in early March, a 26-save, 1-0 victory against the Montreal Canadiens, making him the first Flames rookie goaltender to record three shutouts in a season. This performance was close to making the list. However, his 38-save performance on Jan. 18, a 3-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets, was slightly more impressive despite letting one goal past him.
Heading into this matchup against the Jets, the Flames were in a wild-card spot, and the Jets had the best record in the Western Conference before finishing the season with the best record in the NHL. In this measuring stick game, Wolf stopped 38 of 39 shots, including 15 third-period saves, to fend off the Jets’ late-game pressure. Of these 38 saves, nine of them came on high-danger shots and another nine came on medium-danger shots. He finished the game with a .974 save percentage and 3.32 goals saved above expected.
Wolf stole this game from the best regular-season team in the NHL last season. He saved more goals above expected than the Flames had expected goals for as a team. They had no business being in that game, but he made it look like a comfortable victory.
Wolf Could Be Flames’ Franchise Goalie
Wolf’s rookie season was phenomenal. At 24 years old, the Flames can comfortably say they have their goalie of the future after trading Jacob Markstrom to the New Jersey Devils last offseason. Wolf only has one more year on his contract. He can sign an extension anytime.
After Wolf winning back-to-back Baz Bastien Memorial Awards (the American Hockey League’s award for the best goaltender) and as a Calder Trophy finalist, it would be shocking to see the Flames not extend Wolf before next offseason. He was their best player last season, and could be for seasons to come.
All stats via Natural Stat Trick
