Calgary Flames sign Devin Cooley to two year deal ($775,000 AAV)

The Calgary Flames have added some much-needed goaltending depth. Per his agent, Dan Milstein, the Flames have signed goaltender Devin Cooley to a two year deal.

Per Milstein’s tweet, the first year is a two-way deal worth $775,000 in the NHL (and $400,000 in the AHL), while the second year is a one-way deal worth $775,000. The average annual value of the deal is, therefore, $775,000.

A product of Los Gatos, California, Cooley is a goaltender listed at 6’5″ and 192 pounds. A college boy, Cooley played in the United States Hockey League with the Muskegon Lumberjacks, the British Columbia Hockey League with the Wenatchee Wild and the North American Hockey League with the Springfield Jr. Blues before landing at the University of Denver. Cooley played three seasons at Denver before going pro in 2020-21.

Cooley spent three seasons grinding his way through the minors, suiting up with the ECHL’s Florida Everblades and the AHL’s Chicago Wolves and Milwaukee Admirals. He finally got an NHL opportunity last season, splitting time between the Buffalo Sabres and AHL’s Rochester Americans (but not playing any NHL games with the Sabres) before moving to the San Jose Sharks mid-season. He played six games with the lowly Sharks, going 2-3-1 with a 4.98 goals against average and .870 save percentage.

If you look at the goaltending depth chart, Cooley fits right in. On the NHL level, on paper, the Flames have top prospect Dustin Wolf and incumbent backup Dan Vladar. But Wolf has played 18 NHL games and Vladar is coming off hip surgery, and the only AHL goaltender signed was North American newcomer Waltteri Ignatjew. Cooley fits two roles in the system: if the two NHL guys are solid, he’s a really reliable AHL goaltender who can help Ignatjew adjust to playing in a brand-new environment. And if either of Wolf or Vladar need spelling off, Cooley is a veteran pro with both NHL experience and arguably some untapped upside at the NHL level. He provides both depth and insulation.

It’s worth noting, though, that Vladar’s contract expires after the 2024-25 season while Cooley is under contract for 2025-26 on a one-way, so there seems to be the potential for Cooley to earn a full-time job if he performs well enough this coming season.