The Calgary Flames announced Thursday, March 21 that Dan Vladar will undergo season-ending hip surgery, leaving Jacob Markstrom and Dustin Wolf to mind the net the rest of the way.
Also a part of the announcement, Jacob Markstrom has been cleared for full practice and is game-ready. Dustin Wolf will stay up with the NHL club on an emergency recall basis.
Markstrom hasn’t played since March 9, sidelined with a lower-body injury.
A tough season for Vladar
Vladar appeared in 20 games for the Flames this year, going 8–9–2. He finishes the season with a .882 SV% and -12.5 goals above expected as per MoneyPuck.com. His last appearance came on March 12 against the Colorado Avalance, where he gave up six goals on 35 shots.
He served as their primary backup most of the year and is still signed to the Flames for next year at a $2.2M cap hit.
What’s next for Calgary’s goaltending situation
Dustin Wolf has earned more playing time with the Flames, and now he’ll have it. With Markstrom back and healthy, they will presumably split playing time the rest of the way.
Assuming the Flames want Wolf with the NHL team next year, Calgary will have to decide on Marktrom or Vladar in the offseason. Markstrom was almost dealt at the deadline, and could still be moved in the summer. But as of now, Calgary has three goalies for next season.
The Flames have 14 games remaining, and are all but eliminated from playoff contention. How they use Markstrom and Wolf the rest of the way will be interesting as it will give insights on their future plans.
Photo by Brett Holmes/Icon Sportswire
