Calgary Flames goaltender Dan Vladar listed at 16th on Daily Faceoff’s Trade Targets
By Ryan Pike
10 months agoSince being selected fourth-from-last in the 2019 NHL Draft, Calgary Flames prospect Dustin Wolf has been an excellent goaltending prospect. He’s been named the top goaltender in his league in all four of his post-draft seasons, leading new general manager Craig Conroy to state that he’s earned a shot at the NHL roster.
Since that shot has to come at somebody’s expense, it shouldn’t be a shocker to learn that Flames backup goalie Dan Vladar has appeared on Frank Seravalli’s Trade Targets board over at Daily Faceoff. (He’s #16.)
Here’s the rundown on Vladar:
Scoop: New Flames GM Craig Conroy acknowledged on Frankly Speaking that Dustin Wolf has earned an NHL opportunity after putting up monster numbers in the AHL. It would stand to reason then that opportunity would come at the cost of Vladar, who many saw as a future No. 1 in the NHL. He’s locked up for two more seasons at a very cost effective $2.2 million, which makes him a highly tradable commodity if the belief is shared that he can take on a bigger load than the third of a season he played last year. And he might be more attractive, especially for cap teams, than one of the free agents available.
The 25-year-old Vladar was acquired by the Flames from the Boston Bruins for a 2022 third-round pick during the 2021 off-season. He was the odd-man out in Boston in net and likely to be lost on waivers, so the Flames targeted him and nabbed him to be Jacob Markstrom’s understudy.
It’s worked out fairly well, and Vladar signed a two-year, $2.2 million extension back in October that runs through the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons. But Wolf is (a) much less pricey than Vladar from a cap perspective and (b) an excellent AHL goaltender who’s earned a shot.
We would imagine there are going to be suitors for Vladar’s services, and it shouldn’t be terribly difficult – given the demand for goalies and Vladar’s team-friendly contract – for the Flames to at least recoup the third-round selection they spent to get him.
In 55 career NHL games between Boston and Calgary, Vladar has posted a 29-14-8 record with a 2.87 goals against average, .898 save percentage and two shutouts.
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