Once the NHL regular season resumes this weekend, the Calgary Flames are sitting in a strong position to move into wild card contention in the Western Conference. With 27 regular season games left, the Flames have found a way to win and these winning ways are parting due to a strong defense in between the pipes.
Dustin Wolf has become the "man" in Calgary at least goalie-wise and risen to become a solid rookie addition to the Flames. If there is something in the water up there in Alberta helping grow young goalies from California, then Calgary has found the magic elixir in developing fellow young goalie Devin Cooley with their AHL affiliate right there in the hometown Saddledome with the Calgary Wranglers.
Cooley sits on a current 18-9-4 record with a 2.33 goals against average and a solid .924 save percentage and could be ready to move up to the "big club" at any moment. Both California-born goaltenders look to be both the present and the future of this franchise desperately seeking answers to make it all the way to the Stanley Cup playoffs this spring.
Dan Vladar may be the odd-man out in Calgary
Czech-born Dan Vladar is a veteran to the ways of the NHL backup goalie fraternity. The 27-year-old is an old hat at standing in between the pipes during the season when needed and in reality could be a valuable insurance policy for any playoff contenders at this point in the season.
While a 7-10-5 record, a .888 save percentage and a 3.07 goals against average is certanly nothing to brag about in the NHL goaltending world, Dan Vladar brings one intrinsically valuable weapon to the ice each time he plays - experience.
More importantly for the Flames' front office is the potential to shed Vladar's $2.2 million dollar average annual value (AAV) on his contract if they can trade him before the trade deadline on March 7th. Vladar also becomes an unrestricted free agent (UFA) after this season and with two potential netminders already in the works in Calgary, it looks like an appropriate time for Calgary to send Vladar off to a new suitor.
Are there any potential buyers for Dan Vladar before the NHL trade deadline?
Again, discussing the trade value and potential of backup goalies in the NHL is akin to discussing which tax software you're going t use to do your tax returns this year - nothing exciting but certainly necessary.
Vladar came up on the Carolina Hurricanes' radar screen earlier this year and may still be a potential trade partner with Calgary for the backup goalie. When Vladar originally arrived with the Flames in July, 2021, he was worth a third-round draft pick and that may again hold true if the Hurricanes decide to pull the trigger and approve a trade move for Vladar.
Another team that has appeared on the radar screen for Vladar's services is the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning are a perpetual Stanley Cup playoff-bound team each spring and GM Julien BriseBois always seems to find a way to stock up the Lightning roster before the annual trade deadline.
As with any other potential team trade, Dan Vladar's overall worth as a veteran backup in between the pipes has to be accounted for and his current record in Calgary is a secondary consideration. Regardless of trade rumors, the Flames need to make a necessary move to free up cap space and making a trade for Dan Vladar makes sense both from a business standpoint and a player roster viewpoint as well.