Vladar down

McTavish’s injury news wasn’t the only one Friday, as a brief panic ensured in the morning when the Calgary Flames had an emergency backup goaltender at practice.

While some speculated about a potential Jacob Markstrom trade looming, it was actually because backup netminder Dan Vladar had been placed on the injured reserve due to a lower-body injury. In lieu of that, the club recalled Dustin Wolf from the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers.

Vladar, according to Flames head coach Ryan Huska, was injured during warmup in Calgary’s Thursday night game against the New Jersey Devils. After a solid 2021-22 season, Vladar has struggled in the last two years, posting the worst numbers of his career this season. Across 16 games, he’s posted a 7-7-2 record, .888 save percentage and a 3.27 goals against average.

Here’s more, from Daily Faceoff’s Scott Maxwell:

Vladar is a former third-round pick of the Boston Bruins in the 2015 NHL Draft, but didn’t make his NHL debut until he made the Bruins’ Return to Play roster in the 2020 playoff bubble and eventually became the backup goalie when Tuukka Rask withdrew from the tournament, playing one game in relief of Jaroslav Halak. He played five games the following season with the Bruins before he was dealt to the Flames in the 2021 offseason for a third-round pick to become their backup goalie for Jacob Markstrom.

Vladar is currently in the first year of a two-year contract with a $2.2 million cap hit, a deal he signed as an extension shortly after the start of the 2022-23 season.

With Vladar’s injury, Dustin Wolf has been recalled from the AHL to serve as the backup to Markstrom for the Flames. Wolf has struggled in his brief time in the NHL this season, with a 1-2-1 record, an .893% save %, and -3.04 goals saved above expected, but has been excellent in the AHL with an 18-7-2 record, a .927% save%, and four shutouts.