Flames New Goalie Battling for Starting Job

Dustin Wolf finished runner-up for the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s Rookie of the Year following his first full season with the Calgary Flames in 2024-25. With a 29-16-8 record, Wolf led the Flames as their starting netminder, and likely the go-to face between the pipes deep into the future.

Despite Wolf’s status with the Flames, he might have some competition heading into training camp. The Flames signed 26-year-old Prosvetov to a one-year deal after spending the 2024-25 season in the KHL.

Prosvetov impressed, putting up a 20-16-2 record with CSKA Moscow. Making his return to the NHL, Prosvetov says he’s looking to be the Flames starter in 2025-26.

“The most important thing is the opportunity to play and compete for the starting position,” Prosvetov said in an interview with RG. “I believe I have a chance to play in Calgary.”

Prosvetov will have an uphill battle ahead of him if he thinks he can steal the starting job in Calgary. Not only Wolf, but it could be argued that Devil Cooley is ahead of Prosvetov on the depth chart.

Neither Wolf nor Cooley are threats in Prosvetov’s eyes. The Russian goalie said he looked into NHL situations and determined the Flames were the best fit for him.

“When choosing my team, I evaluated the goaltending situation across various NHL clubs,” Prosvetov said. “I didn’t want to sign somewhere that already had goalies with long-term $6 million contracts, like Thatcher Demko with the Vancouver Canucks. It’s challenging to compete with someone like that.”

In Prosvetov’s defense, there are not any current long-term deals within the Flames’ goalie room. As a matter of fact, Prosvetov is the highest paid goalie on the team with a $950,000 average annual vale.

Wolf is entering the final year of his rookie deal at $850,000, and Cooley signed for $775,000 annually ahead of last season.

Contracts aren’t going to decide the Flames goalie setup in 2025-26, however, skill and success will. Prosvetov has his sights set on winning the Stanley Cup and hopes it can happen in Calgary. Where he stands in the lineup if that happens is yet to be seen.