Flames Top 25 Under 25: #19 - Dustin Wolf

#19: Dustin Wolf

Position: Goaltender

Age: 18

Team: Everett Silvertips (WHL)

Drafted in 2019, 7th Round, Pick 214

Last Year Ranking: N/A

The Flames scouting squad were pushing to draft Wolf as high as their 5th round pick, but with some talent left on the board, they decided to hold off. When the fifth last pick in the draft rolled around and Wolf was still available, they didn’t make that decision again.

Dustin Wolf is only 6 feet tall, making him somewhat shorter than the standard 6’2”-4” height of most NHL goaltenders. However, backups like Juuse Saros and Alex Stalock prove every year that height can be overlooked with athleticism. Wolf is certainly that. Backing up Carter Hart on a stacked Everett Silvertips team in 2017-18, a 16/17 year old rookie Wolf posted the second best stats in the WHL over 20 games (2.25 GAA/.928 SV%).

This past season as the starter, Wolf improved every stat, going from 20 appearances, to 61 (WHL leading). His goals against average fell to 1.69 (WHL leading), while his save percentage rose to 93.6% (WHL leading). Those numbers are insane for a junior league which regularly sees high scoring games, rising from a discrepancy between the top talent and the bottom talent.

Wolf will return to Everett next season to continue his development, with his eyes set on climbing the Flames goaltending depth chart, and could get his first taste of pro hockey as soon as 2020-21.