By Rupert McDonald,The Hockey Writers

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As we’ve seen in the NHL, especially in more recent years, goalies are extremely hard to predict. Aside from the truly elite names such as Andrei Vasilevskiy, Igor Shesterkin, and Connor Hellebuyck, many netminders have put together incredible seasons only to drop off dramatically the following campaign. Take Sergei Bobrovsky, for example, who has reclaimed his status as one of the NHL’s best goalies but just a few years ago was considered to have one of the worst contracts in the league.

Wolf Better Known Around the NHL

While many will argue that Wolf is set to continue on his upward trajectory, you can’t hide the fact he wasn’t very well known by opposing teams coaching staffs and players. After all, he was a young rookie goalie who had fallen all the way to the seventh round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. Seemingly nobody aside from his biggest supporters ever envisioned him getting to the point he has.

What will be interesting to monitor this season is whether or not Wolf hits a sophomore slump. Other team’s top shooters now have a better scouting report on him, and may be able to pick up on certain deficiencies in his game that weren’t picked up on by players or fans throughout his rookie season.

While a sophomore slump wouldn’t be of grave concern given that many NHLers go through it, it could suggest that teams have figured out ways to expose Wolf, whether it be for his small stature or otherwise. Of course, a big dip in play could also affect his mental game moving forward, which we’ve certainly seen from other goalies in the past.

To Wolf’s credit, the Flames organization and management group are very smart individuals, and have certainly calculated these risks on their own time. Based on this long-term extension, it’s clear they truly believe his rookie season was no fluke, and expect him to only get better as time passes.

On the opposite side of things, it’s also possible that Wolf does continue to grow to the point where this extension looks like a true bargain in the coming years. That certainly played a part in the Flames going long term, as another strong season like we saw from him in 2024-25 would have increased his price tag dramatically. Either way you look at it, it’s a big risk for general manager Craig Conroy to take, and could be one that defines his legacy in Calgary for better or worse.