Since 2013, the Calgary Flames have used 12 different goaltenders that they’ve acquired from outside of their developmental system. The big reason for that is, to be blunt, they’ve been really horrible at drafting and developing goaltenders since basically forever.
Dustin Wolf is absolutely killing it in the Western Hockey League. He may finally break a decades-long dry spell for drafted netminders. Here’s a brief snapshot – broken down by general manager – of the Flames’ struggles finding puck-stoppers in the NHL Draft.

The Cliff Fletcher years (in Atlanta)

Draft
Goalie
Round
Pick
Flames GP
NHL GP
1972
Frank Blum
6
82
0
0
1974
Bill Moen
6
100
0
0
1975
Nick Sanza
9
150
0
0
1975
Brian O’Connell
10
167
0
0
1976
Mark Earp
5
82
0
0
1977
Jim Craig
4
72
4
30
1978
Tim Bernhardt
3
47
6
67
1978
Bernhard Englbrecht
12
196
0
0
1979
Pat Riggin
2
33
119
350
The Atlanta years featured a skew towards late picks and very few successes – except for the fabulously-named Bernhard Englbrecht. They went for a few early picks and managed to get Miracle on Ice netminder Jim Craig and the pretty decent Pat Riggin, but there are no home runs here.

The Cliff Fletcher years (in Calgary)

Draft
Goalie
Round
Pick
Flames GP
NHL GP
1981
Mike Vernon
3
56
527
782
1982
Dave Meszaros
4
65
0
0
1983
Grant Blair
6
111
0
0
1983
Jeff Hogg
7
131
0
0
1986
Scott Sharples
9
184
1
1
1988
Jason Muzzatti
1
21
2
62
1990
Trevor Kidd
1
11
178
387
1990
Shawn Murray
8
167
0
0
The good news: they got Vernon and Kidd! The bad news: that’s it. Jason Muzzatti represents one of the franchise’s big drafting whiffs of the Fletcher era.

The Doug Risebrough years

Draft
Goalie
Round
Pick
Flames GP
NHL GP
1991
Jerome Butler
5
107
0
0
1991
Andrei Trefilov
12
261
22
54
1994
Patrik Haltia
6
149
0
0
Risebrough only took three goalies and one of which was Trefilov, one of the most underrated depth players in franchise history. Was he good? Uh, no. But man he was always the first guy called up when weird stuff went down.

The Al Coates Years

Draft
Goalie
Round
Pick
Flames GP
NHL GP
1997
Evan Lindsay
2
32
0
0
1998
Dany Sabourin
4
108
4
57
1999
Craig Anderson
3
77
0
636
1999
Matt Underhill
6
170
0
0
Lindsay and Anderson both didn’t sign and re-entered the draft. Lindsay didn’t amount to anything, but Anderson is still in the NHL. Whoops.

The Craig Button years

Draft
Goalie
Round
Pick
Flames GP
NHL GP
2000
Brent Krahn
1
9
0
1
2000
Levente Szuper
4
116
0
0
2001
Andrei Medvedev
2
56
0
0
2019
Curtis McElhinney
6
176
29
232
Krahn was drafted ninth overall and played nine goddamn minutes in the NHL. When Ryan Pinder freaks out on Sportsnet 960 The Fan about the horrors of drafting goalies early, this is what he’s having nightmares about. Medvedev was also a historic whiff.

The Darryl Sutter years

Draft
Goalie
Round
Pick
Flames GP
NHL GP
2004
James Spratt
7
213
0
0
2005
Kevin Lalande
5
128
0
0
2005
Matt Keetley
5
158
1
1
2006
Leland Irving
1
26
13
13
2009
Joni Ortio
6
171
37
37
Ortio was the most successful pick from a group that included a first rounder.

The Jay Feaster years

Draft
Goalie
Round
Pick
Flames GP
NHL GP
2011
Laurent Brossoit
6
164
0
64
2012
Jon Gillies
3
75
12
12
The bar was set low by his predecessors and Feaster cleared it, with both of his drafted goalies playing NHL games.

The Brad Treliving years

Draft
Goalie
Round
Pick
Flames GP
NHL GP
2014
Mason McDonald
2
34
0
0
2016
Tyler Parsons
2
54
0
0
2019
Dustin Wolf
7
214
0
0
If Wolf beats Parsons to the NHL, the Flames should just stop drafting goaltenders before the fifth round. Forever.