The Calgary Flames signed goaltender Dustin Wolf to a seven-year contract extension with a $7.5-million cap hit, the team announced Tuesday.
Wolf went 29-16-8 with a .910 save percentage in 53 games last season in his first full NHL campaign. He finished second in Calder Trophy voting to Montreal Canadiens rookie Lane Hutson.
The 24-year-old was set to become a restricted free agent next summer.
Wolf’s $7.5-million cap hit will make him the 10th-highest-paid goaltender in the league during the 2026-27 campaign. The deal represents a significant investment in a player who’s proven he can handle a starter’s workload.
“They took a swing on giving me a chance to play a lot of hockey last year, and every time I step on that ice, I want to prove them right,” Wolf said, according to Sportsnet’s Eric Francis. “I’m really glad that they believe in me to help lead the team from the back end.”
Wolf helped Calgary contend for a playoff spot down to the final game of the season. The Flames missed out on the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference due to a tiebreaker with the St. Louis Blues.
That near-miss clearly weighs on Wolf’s mind heading into the new season.
“We want to create our own destiny and not have to rely on outside sources to help (secure a playoff spot),” Wolf said Monday at the NHL/NHLPA player media tour, according to theScore’s John Matisz. “There’s certainly games you look back on last year – you lose one point, lose two points – where we could have gotten in significantly easier. That’s the learning curve. You have to figure out how to manage that.”
Wolf built an impressive resume before breaking into the NHL last season. He was twice named Goaltender of the Year in both the WHL and AHL. He won AHL MVP in 2022-23.
The Flames drafted Wolf 214th overall in 2019 after he slipped to the seventh round due to his 6-foot frame.
He has a .906 save percentage and a 2.73 goals-against average in 71 career games over parts of three seasons. The extension shows Calgary’s confidence in Wolf as their franchise goaltender moving forward.
