The Athletic is one of several major NHL publications that remain unconvinced by the Calgary Flames’ rebuild. Whether ranking the club near the bottom of its power rankings or limiting the club’s representation in league-wide evaluations, the publication has shown little confidence in the organization’s current roster.
A few days ago, The Athletic released one of its most anticipated features of the year: its annual NHL player tiers. Unsurprisingly, Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid once again topped the rankings.
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This year’s list is divided into five categories: MVP, Franchise, All-Star, Star, and Support. The MVP tier features the league’s elite players, while the Franchise tier includes 23 skaters who can serve as the cornerstone of any organization. The All-Star and Star tiers make up the bulk of the rankings, recognizing established impact players from around the NHL.
For the Flames, however, their inclusion on the list was brief. Goaltender Dustin Wolf was Calgary’s only representative, earning a spot in the Support tier.
In the comments under Wolf’s ranking, they praise the 25-year-old for his breakout performance in 2024-25, but discuss how his sophomore slump tarnished his budding reputation. One NHL executive quoted by The Athletic believes that the young netminder, entering his third season, may never recapture his rookie form. As insulting as that is, many forget that Wolf is a two-time AHL Goalie of the Year and a former league MVP.
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In the NHL, he’s backstopping the NHL’s lowest-scoring team, so even if he gives up one or two goals, too many of those games still end in losses because the Flames struggle to score.
Since most of the team’s core is Wolf’s age or younger, growing pains are bound to come for an organization preparing to move into a new arena. The hope is that, with a modernized facility and all the amenities the Saddledome has lacked over the years, Calgary could recruit more elite talent. Until then, the Flames have committed fully to their rebuild, relying on prospects rather than outside additions. The reinforcements are not coming from other teams; they are coming from within the system.
Wolf’s placement in the Support tier is surprising. He’s not a supporting player; he’s the team MVP. Yes, he’s not at the same level as Andrei Vasilevskiy or Igor Shesterkin, both Vezina Trophy winners. Still, those clubs wouldn’t be as successful with a mediocre goalie between the pipes. Can anyone imagine how bad the Flames would have been last season without their No. 1 goalie posting a 23-29-3 record? Yikes.
Overall, most NHL fans who don’t stay up late to watch Calgary games rarely see how impactful Wolf is in every game he plays. Casual fans may look at the rankings and conclude the Flames are simply rebuilding. However, the Calgary faithful will see these rankings and wonder why Wolf couldn’t move up a tier, and ask why players like Matt Coronato and Zayne Parekh were left off entirely.
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Calgary’s rebuild won’t be measured until the latter part of the decade, when the organization expects to be back in the playoff picture. Until then, rankings like these are likely to become the norm.
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