Flames goaltender Daniel Vladař, who allowed eight goals on 26 shots in last night’s blowout loss to the Lightning, is day-to-day with a lower-body injury and is unlikely for tomorrow’s game against the Panthers, the team announced. The team recalled Devin Cooley from AHL Calgary under emergency conditions in a corresponding transaction. He’ll presumably back up Dustin Wolf tomorrow as the youngster makes only his second start in the Flames’ last seven games.
It’s unclear if Vladař was playing through an injury, but it would explain his recent poor play. The 27-year-old entered the month with a .900 SV% on the season but has allowed 15 goals on 86 shots in his last four outings, bringing his numbers down to a .885 SV% with a 3.08 GAA.
Vladař has started 16 of Calgary’s 30 games this season and, even with a minor injury, is comfortably on track to shatter his previous career-high of 27 appearances set in 2022-23. The Prague native has been one of the league’s worst “starters,” though. His -2.5 goals saved above expected rank 26th among 32 goaltenders with at least 14 games played, per MoneyPuck.
Starter is a highly loose term. He’s worked in tandem with Wolf, the latter of whom is regarded as one of the highest-ceiling young netminders in the league. He’s also had a rough stretch of play after a strong start to the season, allowing four or more goals in each of his last three starts, but he’ll get the chance to avenge himself with Vladař on the shelf. Wolf’s save percentage this season was as high as .921 as recently as Nov. 25.
As far as third-string options go, Cooley is one of the best. The 27-year-old has dominated AHL play this season with a 1.80 GAA, .942 SV%, three shutouts, and a 14-3-0 record in 18 appearances. He signed a two-year, partial two-way deal with Calgary over the summer after making his NHL debut down the stretch with the Sharks last season, posting a 2-3-1 record with a .870 SV% and 4.98 GAA in six starts. He faced an average of 32 shots per game, including a 49-save performance in a win over the Kraken on April 11.
The Flames’ active roster was full before recalling Cooley, and since Vladař wasn’t placed on injured reserve, another corresponding transaction must be made.