Goaltending has been a hot topic around the NHL this past off-season. Especially in Calgary as they have to navigate the three-headed monster of Jacob Markstrom, Dan Vladar, and Dustin Wolf.
Throw in the fact that teams like Tampa need goaltending with the injury news to Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, the goaltending union loves this.
The Flames have been trying to move Vladar, but nobody has been willing to pay the price as the Fourth Period’s Dave Pagnotta explained when he joined Sirius XM NHL Network Radio Power Play Program on Monday with Steve Kouleas and Mike McKenna to discuss why.
** NHLRumors.com Transcription
Mike McKenna: “I know the goalies are the topic of de-jure because we got a number plenty of goalies available but nobody pulling the trigger on it man. Look at Calgary Dude. You’ve got Dustin Wolf, the two-time reigning AHL goalie of the year, the best goalie not in the NHL, for two seasons, he can’t go back to the American Hockey League. Sorry Craig Conroy if you send Dustin Wolf to the American League, you are making a mistake. (The interview aired before Wolf was sent to the AHL)
But you got Dustin Wolf, Jacob Markstrom, no movement clause, and Dan Vladar in Calgary, but what are they going to do with Dave? They have to move Vladar that is the only answer. But they don’t want to move Vladar, so what are the Flames going to do?”
Dave Pagnotta: “This has been a topic that goes back to the start of the offseason for them. This was a team that I mentioned earlier, like half of the roster, teams were talking about presumably available. Vladar was one of those guys that was available and nobody was willing to pay a decent price in order to get him and Calgary was willing to trade him.
But the asking price seemed a little bit too high. Clearly, cuz he is still there and they weren’t willing to ease up on that. I mean they do have. This is a different scenario from the Leafs and Habs because might not be the best thing for Wolf, I agree with you, I think he should be in the NHL, but he is waiver-exempt.
So you have a bye here by not having to carry three goalies. And you get him an opportunity to play as a starter with your AHL club. Not necessarily what everybody wants but these are the cards that are presumably dealt to Calgary right now unless they can find a new home for Vladar.
Look I’m sure that Craig Conroy knows that he will continue to listen. He has got a couple of years left on his deal. It is a $2.2 million cap hit. It is not huge, but for some teams like Tampa, I mean they can’t make that happen.
So for other clubs, that are looking around they have might to wait things out and see how their season unfolds. Do they get injuries? Can they add to their LTIR space? Can they create some overage space and pursue a new goaltender in a guy like Vladar?
It is going to be a waiting game to see what with him and Calgary.”