More than a quarter of the way through the 2025/26 season, the Calgary Flames have a goaltender at the top of the league. However, it’s not who anyone would have guessed. Devin Cooley, not Dustin Wolf, has posted elite numbers.
While Wolf struggles with a sophomore slump, backup Cooley dominates between the pipes. After slowly earning more starts as the season progressed, Cooley officially looks like one of the NHL’s very best goalies this season.
Cooley vs. Wolf
If you had told someone in September that the Flames would have one goaltender at the top of the league and one at the bottom, everyone would have guessed that Calder, Calder’s 2024-25 runner-up, would be at the top.
Instead, it was journeyman goaltender Cooley who came out this season. Wolf, meanwhile, has really struggled at times, culminating recently with three goals on five shots.
| GOAL | File | SV% | GAA | GSAx |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Devin Cooley | 3-2-1 | .930 | 2.01 | 10.71 |
| Dustin Wolf | 6-12-2 | .890 | 3.17 | -2.44 |
What’s most surprising here is that Cooley isn’t just slightly ahead of Wolf in most metrics, he’s miles ahead. While Wolf’s numbers are in the dumpster, Cooley looks unbeatable at the moment. He has saved a whopping 12 goals above expectations, more than Wolf, despite playing in just nine games compared to Wolf’s 20.
Whether it’s save percentage, GAA or GSAx, Cooley was much better than Wolf this year. Blame it on Ryan Huska running Wolf into the ground or just plain bad luck, but Cooley is vastly outperforming Wolf in every metric right now.
Cooley is at the top of the NHL
Cooley doesn’t just look strong compared to Wolf. His numbers across the league are super impressive. When you compare them to the rest of the league, he looks like a truly elite goaltender right now.
| Stands | Devin Cooley | NHL Rank (goaltenders with >9GP) |
|---|---|---|
| To rescue % | .930 | 2nd |
| GAA | 2.01 | 2nd |
| GSAx | 10.71 | 13th |
| 5v5 Save % | ||
| High hazard Save % | .872 | 6th |
Cooley for Vezina? Maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration at this point, but it can be understated how incredible Cooley has looked this year. Only one goaltender in the entire NHL with at least nine games played is above him in save percentage and GAA.
That’s absurd. Especially considering Cooley was the projected AHL starter entering the season, and it wasn’t until Ivan Prosvetov had a brutal preseason that Cooley even got the backup job behind Wolf. Even after he got the job, the Flames reportedly tried to search the trade market for a replacement, without trusting Cooley. Ultimately, they decided to let Cooley earn the role, and their gamble paid off.
The anti-tank commander
After Dustin Wolf single-handedly saved the Flames from the bottom 10 last year, are we witnessing another goaltending performance for the ages in 2025-2026, one that will ruin the Flames draft position?
While it’s still early and the Flames are still in the cellar, if Cooley can keep this up, he could slowly drag the Flames out of the bottom five in the NHL by the end of the season.
Related
#Devin #Cooley #goalies #NHL #season #Win #Column