The Calgary Flames didn’t just sign a goaltender this week, they placed a calculated, high-stakes bet on their future when they committed seven years and $52.5 million to Dustin Wolf. Article content

It is, by any measure, an aggressive decision with some real risk attached. But it also comes with huge potential upside. Article content Article content

Unlike Connor Zary’s recent extension, this deal wasn’t inevitable. At least not this off-season.

In fact, there were reasons to believe both sides might wait. Wolf has appeared in only 71 NHL games, barely enough to establish a track record.

Goaltending is notoriously unpredictable, it is the one position where a player can look like a Vezina candidate one year and a liability the next.

Front offices usually prefer to see more evi

See Full Page