Let's talk about Devin Cooley

[Rubi]

Have the Flames found a diamond in the rough here? This guy has been really good in every game I've watched him play this pre-season.

Per Devin Cooley:

"I didn’t have, really, any consistent goalie coaching until I went to the USHL at 18, 19 years old,” Cooley explained. I feel like my entire career, I’ve been trying to play catch-up."

“I always had this raw, athletic ability; I was mobile, I was quick, I was tall, so I had all the tools but I honestly had no idea what I was doing, for the longest time. In the USHL I finished like last in save percentage and goals-against average, so that wasn’t good at all, but I had all the tools, but like if you would have asked me ‘Hey, in this situation, what do you do here?’ I would be like ‘I dunno, I just figure it out.’ So that doesn’t work at the higher levels.”

“So now it’s like taking this raw talent and structuring it, and now being a lot more technical with things. Now I’m feeling a lot more confident, where it’s like if there’s a certain situation, I feel like ‘OK, I know exactly what to do here.’ Now it’s just continuing to build off that muscle memory, and get better and better.”

This summer, Cooley focused on staying taller in his net, along with little adjustments - ‘having my butt up,’ he says, for starters - along with a move away from ‘sitting back’ in his crease, and hand positioning.

His summer work was all about building the aforementioned muscle memory, rep after rep after rep.

“That’s been like a huge game-changer for me, just letting pucks come to me and using my body for them to hit me instead of feeling ‘I’ve got to get so low and track everything.’ It’s so hard to track, like it comes so fast sometimes.

“Having pucks hit me a lot more, it’s just made the game a lot easier for me.”

Click to read more...

 

[Rubi]

Credit where credit is due...

 

[Anglesmith]

Having pucks hit you is definitely good as a goalie.

 

[Some Other Flame]

Devin "I came here to show that I don’t suck that much” Cooley

 

[Lunatik]

I do believe he is AHL bound, but I think he could have a great year for the Wranglers

 

[Rubi]

I just saw this article. I think its a bit premature...

It’s time for the Calgary Flames to move on from Dan Vladar

The biggest storyline heading into Calgary Flames training camp was in...

flamesnation.ca

... it looks like it’s going to be a tight, three-way battle for two positions on the opening night roster.
But I don’t think it should be much of a battle. Wolf and Cooley should be in the NHL to start the season with Vladar as the odd man out.

 

[Lunatik]

I just saw this article. I think its a bit premature...

It’s time for the Calgary Flames to move on from Dan Vladar

The biggest storyline heading into Calgary Flames training camp was in...

flamesnation.ca

that writer is pretty terrible, why FN hired him is confounding. Maybe he got lots of clicks spamming his crap on reddit... but clicks mean more than being a good writer now

 

[JPeeper]

His numbers have never been that great in his career (he also hasn't played that much), he's in his late 20's so we'll see.

Would rather try him and Wolf and ship Vladar out. IMO we know what we have in Vladar, an average/above average backup.

I know no one likes it, but I'd rock the 3 headed goalie monster to start the season. Not like we're trying to be competitive so f*** it, just rotate guys until you find out which one is the weakest and put them on waivers.

 

[Lunatik]

His numbers have never been that great in his career (he also hasn't played that much), he's in his late 20's so we'll see.

Would rather try him and Wolf and ship Vladar out. IMO we know what we have in Vladar, an average/above average backup.

I know no one likes it, but I'd rock the 3 headed goalie monster to start the season. Not like we're trying to be competitive so f*** it, just rotate guys until you find out which one is the weakest and put them on waivers.

The issue w/ 3 goalies is it forces another defensive cut. If we sign Barrie that's likely Pachal or Solovyov getting waived instead of just Tinordi & Hanley

 

[Siignal]

Watching him slide across the net on that breakaway save vs Edmonton was so encouraging. Something about the poise and athleticism just made him look like a seasoned, high end goalie. I haven't seen him beyond that highlight so I can't speak to him in less eventful moments, but yeah I was incredibly impressed.

 

[Ledge And Dairy]

I just saw this article. I think its a bit premature...

It’s time for the Calgary Flames to move on from Dan Vladar

The biggest storyline heading into Calgary Flames training camp was in...

flamesnation.ca

I saw that too and the first thing I thought about was the fact we are only 3M above the cap floor, moving Vladar only makes staying above it harder

 

[Ledge And Dairy]

The issue w/ 3 goalies is it forces another defensive cut. If we sign Barrie that's likely Pachal or Solovyov getting waived instead of just Tinordi & Hanley

I'm not actually that worried about Solovyov getting claimed if he's waived. He's 24 now and only has 10 NHL games under his belt. Also being a former 7th rounder he doesn't have the pedigree that someone like Pelletier still carries. He's not expected to be much more than a bottom pairing defenseman too.

 

[Lunatik]

I'm not actually that worried about Solovyov getting claimed if he's waived. He's 24 now and only has 10 NHL games under his belt. Also being a former 7th rounder he doesn't have the pedigree that someone like Pelletier still carries. He's not expected to be much more than a bottom pairing defenseman too.

he may have been a 7th rounder, but he hasn't played like it in the AHL. He absolutely has top-4 shutdown potential