Ever since the Calgary Flames drafted him, Dustin Wolf has been hearing the comparisons to Juuse Saros.
He definitely doesn’t have a problem with that.
Officially listed at 5-foot-11, Saros served as proof that a smaller goalie could not only play in the NHL, but that he could be one of the league’s top shot-stoppers.
So why would Wolf, who is listed at 6-foot-0, have an issue with the comparison?
If anything, Wolf is flattered, and if he reminds people of the Nashville Predators goalie and perennial Vezina Trophy contender that can only be a good thing.
“We play a very similar style of game, we’ve got to make up for our lack of height — in hockey terms,” Wolf explained. “He’s very quick, mobile and reads plays exceptionally well. Certainly one of the quickest goalies I’ve ever seen, so it’s cool to watch and I’m excited to see him here.”
The comparison between Wolf and Saros is one that Flames senior goaltending coach Jordan Sigalet makes himself. When he first started working with Wolf back when he was starting his pro career with the Calgary Wranglers in the AHL, Sigalet even encouraged Wolf to study Saros’ game and see what he could learn.
“With Juuse and Dustin, it’s clearly the size but they’re also both super athletic and it’s the way they track the puck and their battle and compete level,” Sigalet explained. “At that size, you have to be smart, you have to be an elite skater, which they both are, and they’re fun to watch.”
Wolf has a long way to go before he can say he’s matched what Saros has done in the NHL, but he’s off to a good start.
After making one appearance at the end of the 2022-23 season and playing in 17 games last year, the 23-year-old is splitting time in a goaltending tandem with Dan Vladar this season.
And the results have been extremely encouraging.
Through eight games, Wolf has posted a 5-2-1 record to go along with a 2.84 goals against average and a .913 save percentage. His best game of the season was arguably his last, as he turned away 28 of 29 shots against the Los Angeles Kings in a 3-1 win on Monday night.
Saros, meanwhile, is putting up elite numbers yet again for a struggling Predators team. The Finn has a 2.64 GAA and a .911 save percentage.
And Wolf says he’s still watching and learning from Saros, even as he’s proving himself as an NHLer, too.
“He’s super quick laterally, you have to be, that’s the way the league is nowadays,” Wolf said. “Everybody’s trying to exploit lateral plays and he’s one of the best; your job is to stop the puck. He might be even a little shorter than I am, but he’s exceptionally good at what he does.
“His positioning is so tremendous, he’s always in the right spot, he holds his feet exceptionally well, and that’s certainly something I’ve tried to implement in my game. It’s been a staple and it’s really helped me, especially this year. If you hold your feet, read plays and be able to move laterally, I think you’re putting yourself in a good position. If you add positioning to it, it kind of all adds up to making one save.”
With the Predators playing in Edmonton against the Oilers on Thursday night, there’s no guarantee that Saros will be in net when they take on the Flames at the Saddledome on Friday.
Wolf is likely to be starting for the Flames, though, and if both are playing it will be the first opportunity to see the two go up against one another on the same ice.
And that might only make it easier to make the comparison.
“Those guys can be aggressive and have good enough feet and sense to get to their spots and beat plays on their feet and both of them read their shots so well,” Sigalet said. “They’re both so patient, they keep their edges, they’re not just dropping and hoping pucks hit them, they’re tracking pucks well and just reading the game and the shot so well. “