In the fourth of a 32 part series leading up to the start of the 2025-26 National Hockey League regular season, we will look at the key off-season transactions made by all NHL organizations with an overall grade. Here are the Calgary Flames.
Unlike the other teams we have previewed to date, the Flames did not bring any new players into the organization in the offseason who are expected to be on the ice opening night. All 20 players (12 forwards, six defensemen and two goaltenders) were in the organization last year.
Goaltending Situation
That said, the Flames will have a new backup goaltender with Dan Vladar of Prague, Czech Republic signing a two-year deal worth $6.7 million with the Philadelphia Flyers. The new Flames goaltender expected to backup Dustin Wolf is Devin Cooley. Both Wolf and Cooley have a similarity as they are rising goaltenders from the state of California. Wolf, who was a Calder Trophy finalist last season (lost out to Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson of Holland, Michigan), is from Gilroy, California, and Cooley is from Los Gatos, California. It should be noted that Devin Cooley is not related to Utah Mammoth center Logan Cooley of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Devin Cooley came to the Flames on Canada Day, 2024. He had played six games the previous season with the San Jose Sharks. In 2024-25, Devin Cooley was the primary goaltender for the Calgary Wranglers of the American Hockey League. In 46 games, he had a record of 21 wins, 17 regulation losses, and five losses in extra time, with three shutouts, a goals against average of 2.94, and a save percentage of .905.
If things do not work out for Cooley, the Flames would probably turn to goaltender Ivan Prosvetov of Moscow, Russia. The Flames signed Prosvetov to a one-year contract worth $950,000 on Canada Day. Prosvetov has NHL experience with the Arizona Coyotes and Colorado Avalanche. Last year with CSKA Moscow of Russia’s Kontinental League, Prosvetov had a record of 20 wins, 16 regulation losses, two losses in extra time, four shutouts, a goals against average of 2.90 and a save percentage of .918.
Two-way Contract addition
The Flames did sign one other player on Canada Day. That is defenseman Nick Cicek of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Like Cooley, he has prior experience with the San Jose Sharks. Last season, Cicek had 17 points in 50 games with the Mannheim Eagles in Germany.
Projected Grade
Being based just outside of Calgary, and working for Calgary Hockey Magazine, I keep close tabs on the Flames organization. The fact the team did nothing of substance in the offseason should not concern Flames fans. The franchise is in a rebuild and it will take time for this group to contend. My grade for the Flames in the offseason is a C. Expect a blockbuster transaction to come soon though, as Calgary is expected to trade defenseman Rasmus Andersson.
