Dustin Wolf came within inches - literally - of carving his name into Calgary Flames history on Saturday night. With the Islanders’ net empty and the Saddledome buzzing, the rookie netminder fielded a wrist shot, dropped the puck, and launched a full-length ice bid toward the yawning cage at the other end.
It had the distance. It had the drama.
But after one fateful hop, it drifted just wide. That’s how close Wolf came to joining one of the NHL’s most exclusive clubs: goaltenders who’ve scored a goal.
Only 20 have ever done it. He nearly became the 21st.
But while Wolf’s near-miss had the crowd holding its breath, it was Rasmus Andersson’s postgame moment that really struck a chord - and maybe signaled something bigger. After helping the Flames to a 4-2 win over the visiting New York Islanders, Andersson was named the game’s third star.
He skated back out, clapped to the fans, waved, and lingered a little longer than usual. The kind of moment that felt like more than just a routine salute - it felt like a goodbye.
Andersson’s name has been swirling in trade rumors for weeks, but the chatter has picked up serious steam in recent days. With the NHL’s trade market heating up, the Boston Bruins and Vegas Golden Knights are reportedly circling. And with Monday’s game against the Devils looming, it wouldn’t be a shock to see Andersson on the move before then.
Yet despite all the noise, Andersson suited up and played like a guy fully locked in. He logged a team-high 25:40 of ice time, notched an assist on the opening goal, and was the last man at the bench postgame, high-fiving every teammate as they came off the ice. That’s not just leadership - that’s a guy showing what he’s about, even with uncertainty hanging over his head.
Flames head coach Ryan Huska made a point to highlight that mental toughness after the win.
“I don’t think he shuts off his social media... so I think he knows what’s going on and all the conversations that are out there about him,” Huska said. “I think it says a ton about his mental fortitude... that he’s able to just go and play and not worry about the things that he has no control of. That’s something most players should aspire to be like.”
Andersson’s performance - and poise - stood out in a night full of storylines.
Then there was Wolf, who continues to show why the Flames are so high on him. With Calgary up by three in the third, Islanders head coach Patrick Roy - no stranger to bold moves or netminder theatrics - pulled David Rittich with more than eight minutes left on the clock. It was an aggressive play, and it gave Wolf a rare chance to try something goalies dream about.
After catching a shot from Max Shabanov, Wolf wasted no time. He dropped the puck and let it rip.
The Saddledome held its breath. Flames defenseman MacKenzie Weegar even raised his arms, thinking it was in.
Instead, the puck took a cruel bounce and veered just wide. Weegar’s reaction - hands on helmet, disbelief etched across his face - said it all.
Still, the Flames got the win, and their young goalie nearly made history. And if this was Andersson’s last game in a Flames sweater, he left it all on the ice - a performance worthy of the moment, and a sendoff that didn’t go unnoticed by the home crowd.
As the trade deadline inches closer and Calgary continues to weigh its future, Saturday night offered a glimpse of both what’s been - and what might be coming next.