Huge blow for the Flames after Devin Cooley’s injury update

Devin Cooley had been one of the NHL’s steadiest goaltenders over the past couple of weeks, but a collision late in the first period of Wednesday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers has now sidelined the Calgary Flames netminder for the foreseeable future.

The Flames placed Cooley on injured reserve Friday with a lower-body injury. Head coach Ryan Huska told reporters the goalie is week-to-week.

The play came with just 12 seconds left in the first period. Oilers forward Colton Dach crashed the net and collided with Cooley, drawing a two-minute goaltender interference penalty. Cooley stayed in the game for those final seconds of the period but did not return for the second. Calgary confirmed during the game that he would not come back due to a lower-body issue.

The timing could hardly be worse. Cooley had surrendered only six goals on 133 shots across his four starts leading into Wednesday’s contest, posting an impressive .955 save percentage during that stretch.

With Cooley now shelved, Dustin Wolf is set to reclaim the starter’s role. He is slated to get the nod Friday night against the Seattle Kraken, marking his first start since Oct. 15.

To fill the backup spot, Calgary recalled goaltender Arsenii Sergeev from the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers. Forward William Stromgren was also recalled from the Wranglers on Friday.

Huska also addressed questions about the team’s lack of an immediate physical response to the hit on Cooley. According to Sportsnet, the coach was unbothered by it, suggesting it came down to game awareness rather than any absence of toughness.

The injury woes in Calgary do not stop with Cooley. Huska confirmed that forward Brennan Othmann is dealing with an upper-body injury and is listed as day-to-day. Meanwhile, Connor Zary has undergone knee surgery and joins Cooley in the week-to-week category.

The Flames will lean heavily on Wolf to steady the crease while Cooley recovers, with a suddenly thinning roster making every game that much more challenging.