Devin Cooley had an impressive 2025–26 as Dustin Wolf’s understudy. While Dustin Wolf appears to be the undisputed first choice, Cooley surprised many with how well he adapted to the NHL.
Cooley had previously had a spell in San Jose, making six appearances in 2023–24. He did, however, achieve only a .870 save percentage. He soon found himself in the Wranglers, where he recorded a .905, earning him a full call-up.
During the 2025–26 season, several people believed his impressive displays actually hurt the chances of getting a higher draft pick. Others even speculated that he was more reliable than Wolf.
Cooley vs Wolf: Stat Wars
In a season where the Flames struggled following multiple trades, one could argue that Cooley had the better year.
Dustin Wolf played in 57 games, with a 23–29–3 record, compared to Cooley’s 10–10–6. From those records, Cooley outshone Wolf in both save percentage (.909 vs .899) and GAA (2.69 vs 3.01).
On the flip side, Cooley failed to keep a shutout, whereas Wolf had two. Those two shutouts came in 2–0 wins against the Sharks and Mammoth.
Sergeev weakens Cooley’s position
Cooley had impressive numbers and only signed a new two-year deal in December. Yet, he could be dropped from the second choice.
In the final game of the season, the Flames called up Arsenni Sergeev after Cooley sat out due to illness. The young Russian impressed, recording a .964 save percentage. While that’s just one game, it put him in the conversation for good backup options.
This has seen several online commenters call for him to be called up permanently, and Cooley traded while his value is arguably at its peak.
A likely return for Cooley, if the Flames did choose to trade him, would be humble.
Realistically, a third or fourth-round pick would be the return for Cooley, but he would potentially be attractive for teams needing depth. The Oilers haven’t had a reliable goaltender for several years, and the Jets are often on the hunt for a dependable backup for Hellebuyck.
The Mammoth are also regularly cited by many as being on “back-up wanted” lists.
Should the Flames opt to trade Cooley, there would be several suitors.