The Calgary Flames didn’t waste any time adding reinforcements after Wednesday night’s loss to Edmonton left them a little short on bodies. On Friday morning, the club recalled forward William Strömgren and goaltender Arsenii Sergeev from the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers as it gets ready for back-to-back games against Western Conference opponents.
The timing makes sense. Against the Oilers, Brennan Othmann appeared to hurt himself awkwardly at the end of a fight with Ty Emberson early in the first period.
Later in that same period, Devin Cooley was run into by Edmonton forward Colton Dach. Cooley finished the period, but when the second started, Dustin Wolf was in goal and Cooley was no longer on the Calgary bench.
Calgary was shut out 4-0 and finished the night without Othmann or Cooley.
Now the Flames head into a busy weekend with Seattle coming to Calgary on Friday night and Colorado on deck Saturday night. That leaves Wolf as the likely starter and Sergeev as the backup. It also leaves Calgary thin up front, with only 12 healthy forwards available, which is why Strömgren’s recall became necessary to guard against any late illness or injury.
Othmann cracked the Flames’ roster out of training camp and has bounced in and out of the fourth line. In six NHL games, he has yet to record a point.
Strömgren, meanwhile, has been producing for the Wranglers, putting up two goals and 10 points in 10 AHL games. He already has a little NHL experience too, after dressing for three games with Calgary last season without recording a point.
The goaltending numbers tell the story of how Calgary is managing its crease right now. Cooley is 4-3-0 through seven appearances this season with a 2.69 goals against average and .914 save percentage.
Wolf has appeared in six games and is 1-4-0 with a 4.81 goals against average and .839 save percentage. Sergeev has played five games for the Wranglers this season, going 3-2-0 with a 3.04 goals against average and .897 save percentage.
The 23-year-old made his NHL debut last season in the final game of the year, earning a 3-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings.
With the two call-ups, the Flames are carrying 24 players on the active roster. That’s above the usual 23-player limit, but the league allows an extra goaltender under emergency conditions so teams can dress two healthy netminders for each game.
Calgary will have more clarity on Othmann and Cooley as updates come in. For now, the focus is on getting through this weekend, starting with Seattle on Friday night and Colorado on Saturday night.
In Other News...
Flames Suddenly Have A Crease Problem Dustin Wolf Must Solve
Devin Cooleys sudden absence leaves Calgary with a much different look in goal, and the timing is hardly ideal. The Flames placed the goaltender on injured reserve after he was injured in a game, and Dustin Wolf now steps into the starters role as the club tries to steady itself through an unexpected shakeup in the crease.
To help cover the roster, Calgary also recalled Arseni Sergeev and William Stromgren from the Wranglers, with Stromgren coming up to fill the spot left by injured forward Brennan Othmann, who is day-to-day. The moves give the Flames some short-term depth, but the bigger question is how long they can manage without Cooley and how Wolf handles the added load in the meantime. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Babcock Just Created An Oilers Decision Flames Fans Will Notice
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Jake Walmans situation only sharpened that conversation. The defenseman was scratched in a recent game despite the size of his commitment and the fact that he has already dealt with an upper-body injury this season, a move that underscores how quickly Babcock is willing to make hard calls. For Calgary fans, it is another reminder that Edmontons internal decisions can ripple beyond one night on the schedule, especially when a coach with Babcocks reputation starts drawing a line between trust, usage and accountability. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Just Got Tied To A Concerning Flames Injury Update
The Flames are already dealing with another round of injury uncertainty in camp, and the latest update hits a position group that can quickly reshape the conversation around the roster. Head coach Ryan Huska said goaltender Devin Cooley is week-to-week with a lower-body injury, while defenseman Brennan Othmann is day-to-day with an upper-body issue, giving Calgary a few more moving parts to manage as it sorts out its depth.
Cooleys setback came after a game collision, and he has already acknowledged he will miss time, which only adds to the concern around a team trying to keep its crease situation stable. Connor Zary of the AHL Calgary Wranglers is also week-to-week after knee surgery, leaving the Flames with multiple injury timelines to monitor and a few unanswered questions about how quickly they can get back to full health. [Read more 🡒]