- We previously covered how Wednesday’s start was a crucial game in the pro career of netminder Devin Cooley, and now that the contest has come and gone, it’s clear Cooley made the most of his opportunity. It was reported that the Flames were monitoring potential outside acquisitions to replace Cooley as the team’s backup netminder, but not before giving the 28-year-old veteran his chance to earn the role. Although the Flames fell 3-1 to the Utah Mammoth in Cooley’s first start of the season, Cooley put forth an impressive performance, saving 29 of 31 shots. Sportsnet’s Eric Francis wrote that yesterday’s game “could easily have gotten out of hand” without Cooley’s heroics, and head coach Ryan Huska told the media that he felt Cooley’s first start “was excellent.” While one brilliant start doesn’t necessarily mean the Flames are now sold with Cooley as their go-to option behind starter Dustin Wolf, it certainly doesn’t hurt Cooley’s chances.
Flames Rumors
Flames To Start Cooley Wednesday But Are Eyeing The Goalie Market
While the Flames didn’t claim any goaltenders off waivers this fall, it appears they’re not completely sold on Devin Cooley being the backup. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported in the latest 32 Thoughts podcast (audio link) that Calgary has been talking to teams to see what other options might be out there. However, they plan to give Cooley a look between the pipes, potentially on Wednesday, in the hopes that he can play his way into securing this position. If the Flames were to trade for (or sign) another netminder, that would give them four on one-way contracts, typically not an ideal situation to be in. Friedman added that as Calgary searches for another goaltending option, teams are asking for an incentive to take on one of those extra one-way goalies, something they’re resisting. If Cooley does well and earns the trust to be the full-time backup, this will work out okay but if he struggles, expect to see them looking around the market some more in the coming days.
Flames Place Jonathan Huberdeau, Martin Pospisil On IR, Recall Samuel Honzek
- The Calgary Flames placed forwards Jonathan Huberdeau and Martin Pospisil on injured reserve today as part of their roster preparations, and also called up 2023 first-rounder Samuel Honzek. Huberdeau left Calgary’s preseason game at the start of the month with an undisclosed injury, and will miss at least the team’s season opener. Pospisil also exited the Flames’ Oct. 1 preseason game with an undisclosed injury, and will also miss the team’s first game at minimum. As a result, Honzek, 20, gets a spot on the roster in their absence. The 6’5 Slovak forward played his first season of North American pro hockey in 2024-25, scoring 21 points in 52 AHL games and also skating in five NHL contests.
- The Colorado Avalanche announced several roster moves to go alongside their announcement of an initial roster: Keaton Middleton, who cleared waivers today, has been reassigned to AHL Colorado, alongside Matthew Stienburg. Meanwhile Ronnie Attard, Sean Behrens, Jacob MacDonald, Logan O’Connor, and Nikita Prishchepov have been designated injured non-roster. Ilya Solovyov, who the team claimed off of waivers from the Calgary Flames last week, was also designated non-roster but he is not injured. Solovyov’s placement is due to the fact that, per the Denver Post’s Corey Masisiak, his visa to allow him to play in the United States has not yet been finalized. It should be noted that this is not an abnormal scenario for a player involved in a cross-border transaction between NHL clubs.
Theo Stockselius WHL Rights Traded To Calgary Hitmen
Calgary Flames 2025 second-round pick Theo Stockselius had his WHL rights traded on Friday, with the Calgary Hitmen trading several draft picks to the Seattle Thunderbirds, including conditional rights to the team’s 2027 first-rounder. Regarding the trade, Postmedia’s Wes Gilbertson reported that Stockselius won’t be heading to the Hitmen for now – he’ll remain with the SHL’s Djurgårdens – but that this trade paves the way for Stockselius to have the option of starting his career in North America close to his eventual pro landing spot.
The move is an intriguing one for the Flames, as the team’s parent company (Calgary Sports and Entertainment) are the owners of the Hitmen and have the Hitmen play out their home schedule in the Scotiabank Saddledome. Should Stockselius eventually land with the Flames, it would allow Calgary brass to keep a very close eye on his development and likely give them the ability to exert more control over his developmental process. Stockselius began this season with Djurgårdens’ J20 Nationell side, scoring seven points in five games. That performance earned him his first-ever SHL call-up, and he skated in just over seven minutes of the team’s 5-2 Saturday win over Malmö. Scouts generally project Stockselius, a rangy 6’3 center, as a potential middle-six NHL pivot.
Avalanche Claim Ilya Solovyov
The Avalanche have acquired defenseman Ilya Solovyov from the Flames via waivers, according to PuckPedia.
Solovyov, 25, is in the second year of a two-year, $1.55MM contract with a $775K cap hit that he signed with Calgary as a restricted free agent in 2024. It carries a one-way structure this year, so even if the Avs managed to have him clear waivers and assign him to the minors, they’re on the hook for that full NHL salary. Solovyov skated in five of his 15 career NHL contests in 2024-25, posting an assist and eight blocks with 12 hits and a -3 rating while averaging 15:40 per game.
The 6’3″ Solovyov commands more intrigue because of his minor-league work with the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers. The Belarusian rearguard is coming off a career-high 6-22–28 scoring line in 59 appearances for the Wranglers, along with a +8 rating. A seventh-round pick back in 2020, he brings four years of professional experience to the Colorado organization that includes an 18-51–69 scoring line with a +33 rating in 229 career AHL games.
Colorado is weak on left-side defensive depth with NHL upside, so it’s not unsurprising to see them make a claim and give Keaton Middleton some competition for the No. 7 job while also providing a backup option if righty Sam Malinski struggles to adjust to playing on his off side, as he’s projected to do alongside Brent Burns. All of Colorado’s projected extra forwards who remain in camp are waiver-exempt, so they could carry 13 forwards and eight defenders to start the year with Logan O’Connor on injured reserve. That would allow them to retain Solovyov and Middleton without risking losing either on waivers.
Training Camp Cuts: 10/2/25
There are five days to go until opening night. Only a few teams have sweeping cuts left to make, with the majority of clubs within five or so cuts (or even at) their final rosters already. We’re keeping track of today’s cuts with this article, which will be updated throughout the day.
Anaheim Ducks (per team announcement)
G Calle Clang (to AHL San Diego)
F Nathan Gaucher (to AHL San Diego)
D Tyson Hinds (to AHL San Diego)
D Tristan Luneau (to AHL San Diego)
F Yegor Sidorov (to AHL San Diego)
D Stian Solberg (to AHL San Diego)
Boston Bruins (per team announcement)
F Dalton Bancroft (to AHL Providence)
F John Farinacci (to AHL Providence)
F Dans Locmelis (to AHL Providence)
D Billy Sweezey (to AHL Providence, cleared waivers)
Calgary Flames (per team announcement)
F Rory Kerins (to AHL Calgary, pending waivers)
G Ivan Prosvetov (to AHL Calgary, pending waivers)
D Ilya Solovyov (to AHL Calgary, pending waivers)
Dallas Stars (per team announcement)
G Rémi Poirier (to AHL Texas)
Detroit Red Wings (per team announcement)
F Ondřej Becher (to AHL Grand Rapids)
G Sebastian Cossa (to AHL Grand Rapids)
F Sheldon Dries (to AHL Grand Rapids, cleared waivers)
D William Lagesson (to AHL Grand Rapids, cleared waivers)
F John Leonard (to AHL Grand Rapids, cleared waivers)
F Amadeus Lombardi (to AHL Grand Rapids)
D Ian Mitchell (to AHL Grand Rapids, cleared waivers)
F Dominik Shine (to AHL Grand Rapids, cleared waivers)
D Antti Tuomisto (to AHL Grand Rapids, cleared waivers)
F Austin Watson (to AHL Grand Rapids, cleared waivers)
Edmonton Oilers (per team announcement)
F Connor Clattenburg (to AHL Bakersfield)
D Cam Dineen (to AHL Bakersfield, pending waivers)
F James Hamblin (to AHL Bakersfield, cleared waivers)
F Quinn Hutson (to AHL Bakersfield)
D Atro Leppanen (to AHL Bakersfield)
F Viljami Marjala (to AHL Bakersfield)
F Josh Samanski (to AHL Bakersfield)
D Riley Stillman (to AHL Bakersfield, pending waivers)
Florida Panthers (per team announcement)
D Marek Alscher (to AHL Charlotte)
D Michael Benning (to AHL Charlotte)
G Cooper Black (to AHL Charlotte)
D Trevor Carrick (released from PTO to AHL Charlotte)
F Brett Chorske (released from ATO to AHL Charlotte)
F Josh Davies (to AHL Charlotte)
F Jack Devine (to AHL Charlotte)
D Ben Harpur (released from PTO)
D Mikulas Hovorka (to AHL Charlotte)
D Colton Huard (released from ATO to AHL Charlotte)
F Hunter Johannes (released from PTO to AHL Charlotte)
D Jake Livingstone (released from PTO to AHL Charlotte)
F Anton Lundmark (to AHL Charlotte)
F Ryan McAllister (to AHL Charlotte)
F Liam McLinskey (released from ATO to AHL Charlotte)
F Gracyn Sawchyn (to AHL Charlotte)
F Kai Schwindt (to AHL Charlotte)
F Hunter St. Martin (to AHL Charlotte)
F Ben Steeves (to AHL Charlotte)
F Sandis Vilmanis (to AHL Charlotte)
Nashville Predators (per team announcement)
D Andreas Englund (to AHL Milwaukee, cleared waivers)
New York Rangers (per team announcement)
D Casey Fitzgerald (to AHL Hartford, cleared waivers)
Philadelphia Flyers (per team announcement)
F Karsen Dorwart (to AHL Lehigh Valley)
F Lane Pederson (to AHL Lehigh Valley, cleared waivers)
Pittsburgh Penguins (per team announcement)
D Scooter Brickey (released from PTO to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton)
F Mathieu De St. Phalle (released from PTO to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton)
G Taylor Gauthier (released from PTO to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton)
F Aidan McDonough (released from PTO to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton)
D Chase Pietila (to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton)
San Jose Sharks (per team announcement)
F Patrick Giles (to AHL San Jose, cleared waivers)
Seattle Kraken (per team announcement)
F Ben Meyers (to AHL Coachella Valley, pending waivers)
F Mitchell Stephens (to AHL Coachella Valley, pending waivers)
Utah Mammoth (per team announcement)
F Ben McCartney (to AHL Tucson, pending waivers)
D Scott Perunovich (to AHL Tucson, pending waivers)
G Jaxson Stauber (to AHL Tucson, cleared waivers)
Washington Capitals (per team announcement)
F Louis Belpedio (to AHL Hershey, cleared waivers)
F Graeme Clarke (to AHL Hershey, cleared waivers)
D David Gucciardi (to AHL Hershey)
F Henrik Rybinski (to AHL Hershey, cleared waivers)
F Bogdan Trineyev (to AHL Hershey, cleared waivers)
Waivers: 10/2/25
There are 22 new names on the waiver wire today, PuckPedia reports. Everyone on the wire yesterday passed through aside from goaltender Pheonix Copley, who’s heading to the Lightning from the Kings.
Calgary Flames
F Rory Kerins
G Ivan Prosvetov
D Ilya Solovyov
Columbus Blue Jackets
Edmonton Oilers
Pittsburgh Penguins
D Sebastian Aho
F Danton Heinen
D Philip Kemp
F Joona Koppanen
G Filip Larsson
F Valtteri Puustinen
Seattle Kraken
F Ben Meyers
F Mitchell Stephens
Utah Mammoth
F Ben McCartney
D Scott Perunovich
Vancouver Canucks
Vegas Golden Knights
D Dylan Coghlan
F Tanner Laczynski
F Raphael Lavoie
D Jaycob Megna
F Cole Schwindt
Heinen, Kerins, and Kravtsov jump out as the most notable skaters from the group. Heinen is one of the first veteran surprises to reach the wire this fall. The pending UFA costs $2.25MM against the cap and was a speculative trade candidate as the rebuilding Penguins look to shed their veterans on expiring deals. If he clears, he’ll still count for $1.1MM against Pittsburgh’s cap. It’s not as if he’s coming off a catastrophic 2024-25 season. He made 79 appearances split between the Canucks and Penguins, recording a 9-20–29 scoring line while averaging 13:27 per game. Those are all a few ticks below his career averages, but still serviceable bottom-six production for a reasonable price. He may not fit into the Penguins’ plans, but it wouldn’t be too surprising to see him claimed despite his cap impact.
Kerins has been a high-ceiling name in the Flames’ system for the past couple of years with quite strong AHL showings. He got his first taste of NHL action last year in a five-game call-up, looking like he belonged with four assists and a +3 rating while averaging 12:14 per game. The 5’10” pivot isn’t a natural fit in a fourth-line role, though, and Calgary doesn’t have an open spot for him in its top nine. He’s a pending RFA without arbitration rights on a two-way deal with a league minimum cap hit – prime conditions for a claim – and had 33 goals and 61 points in 63 AHL games last year.
Kravtsov not making it to the final couple of days of camp is a surprise. Selected No. 9 overall in 2018, he was on the Canucks’ reserve list after he departed the NHL to return to Russia in 2023. He had a great showing for Traktor Chelyabinsk in the Kontinental Hockey League last year, leading the team with 27 goals in 66 games while adding 31 assists for 58 points. That was enough to generate mutual interest between the Canucks and Kravtsov to resume their relationship, and he signed a one-year, two-way deal in August. He’s due to be a Group VI unrestricted free agent next summer if he doesn’t hit 16 NHL games this year.
As for goalie-needy teams, Prosvetov might warrant some consideration after being passed over for Calgary’s backup job in favor of Devin Cooley. The 26-year-old has 24 NHL starts under his belt and was excellent in the KHL last year, managing a .920 SV% and 2.32 GAA in 38 games for CSKA Moscow.
Devin Cooley To Make Flames’ Opening Night Roster
One of the few actual battles for a roster spot in the goaltending department in training camp this year was in Calgary, which didn’t have a clear No. 2 behind Dustin Wolf. The two contenders were longtime AHL farmhand Devin Cooley and international free agent signing Ivan Prosvetov. The latter hit waivers today, signaling the 28-year-old Cooley will appear on an opening night roster for the first time and begin the season as Wolf’s backup.
Neither player really jumped ahead of the other for the spot, though. In fact, both had tough showings in last night’s final test – an 8-1 loss to the Canucks that saw Cooley and Prosvetov post save percentages of .571 and .737, respectively. Cooley had slightly worse preseason numbers on the whole, logging a .846 SV% and 4.08 GAA in three appearances, while Prosvetov had a .857 SV% and 4.54 GAA in two. Both stat lines are attention-grabbing for the wrong reasons, but it’s a small sample size, and the Flames haven’t moved to give themselves a better option – yet. It stands to reason that the underwhelming training camp showing from both goalies might cause Calgary to explore a waiver claim, trade pickup, or free agent signing.
With both struggling, the final decision simply came down to familiarity, head coach Ryan Huska said (via Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960). Cooley had a decent showing as Calgary’s No. 3 last year, logging a .905 SV% and 2.94 GAA in 46 AHL appearances with three shutouts and a 21-17-7 record. The California native’s previous NHL experience is limited to six starts with the Sharks late in the 2023-24 season, when he had a 2-3-1 record with a 4.98 GAA and .870 SV% behind that year’s last-place team.
Prosvetov, who’s previously logged 24 NHL appearances with the Coyotes and Avalanche, spent last year in his native Russia after becoming a Group VI unrestricted free agent. The 26-year-old excelled with a .920 SV% in 38 games for CSKA Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League, leading him to pursue an NHL return. The one-year, $950K deal he signed with Calgary is a one-way contract, so the demotion – assuming he’s not claimed on waivers – won’t affect his paycheck.
Flames Sign Ryan Huska To Two-Year Extension
The Flames have signed head coach Ryan Huska to a two-year contract extension, per a team release Thursday. He was entering the final year of his current deal and is now signed through the 2027-28 season, Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960 reports.
Huska is entering his third season as Calgary’s bench boss, but his tenure with the organization dates back more than a decade. He joined the AHL’s Adirondack Flames as their head coach for the 2014-15 season, his first coaching job in the pros after a lengthy run with the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets as an assistant and head coach that spanned 12 years. He spent one year in Adirondack before the Flames moved their top affiliate closer to home to Stockton, California, where he served as the head coach of the Stockton Heat for their first three seasons. He was then promoted to the Flames’ NHL bench as an assistant, a position he held from 2018 to 2023, before being elevated once again to his current role.
The 50-year-old replaced Darryl Sutter, who was fired after the team missed the playoffs in 2022-23 despite winning a Pacific Division title the year prior. Sutter was the third head coach Huska has worked under in Calgary, a list that included Bill Peters and Geoff Ward.
Calgary has yet to make it back to the playoffs under Huska, but that’s more attributable to their status as a retooler than a coaching failure. His two-year sample is limited, but he’s notably guided a recent first-round pick to a breakout season despite an underwhelming forward group on both occasions. It was Connor Zary in 2023-24, who finished eighth in Calder Trophy voting after registering a 14-20–34 scoring line in 63 appearances following an early-season callup from the minors. This past year saw Matthew Coronato get the same treatment. He finished third on the team in goals (24) and points (47) in 77 games while stepping into an everyday top-six role, averaging north of 17 minutes per game.
The upcoming season could see Huska oversee the NHL transition for another pillar of Calgary’s future – defenseman Zayne Parekh. The 2024 ninth overall selection is ticketed for an opening-night job after a raucous major junior career that saw him lead the OHL in scoring among defensemen in back-to-back years, including an incredible 33-74–107 line in 61 showings for the Saginaw Spirit last year.
Huska enters Year 3 with Dan Lambert and Cail MacLean serving as assistants, as they have since he took over head coaching duties. He’ll have a new third assistant for the third straight year, though – after Brad Larsen replaced the one-and-done Marc Savard for 2024-25, ex-Flames winger Dave Lowry now steps in after Larsen departed the club for family reasons.
Image courtesy of James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images.
Waivers: 9/30/25
The final day of September has once again brought a flurry of waiver activity. After 22 players were placed on waivers on Monday, all of whom cleared, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, another 22 players are on the wire today, per PuckPedia. They are as follows:
Calgary Flames
F Clark Bishop
F Dryden Hunt
D Yan Kuznetsov
F Sam Morton
Carolina Hurricanes
D Gavin Bayreuther
F Noel Gunler
F Tyson Jost
F Josiah Slavin
F Ryan Suzuki
Edmonton Oilers
New York Islanders
G Marcus Hogberg
F Matthew Highmore
New York Rangers
F Brendan Brisson
D Connor Mackey
Philadelphia Flyers
San Jose Sharks
F Shane Bowers
F Jimmy Huntington
F Oskar Olausson
F Pavol Regenda
G Jakub Skarek
Winnipeg Jets
D Tyrel Bauer
D Isaak Phillips
Some younger forwards stand out on today’s list. Olausson, Brisson and Suzuki were late first-round selections back in 2021, 2020, and 2019, respectively, but haven’t been able to grab a foothold on a full-time NHL roster spot just yet. Meanwhile, Gunler is only 23 and since he has spent a lot of his time since being drafted playing overseas, he’s still relatively inexperienced in North America with just 100 AHL games under his belt.
Among the blueliners, Phillips has seen NHL action in four straight seasons, all with Chicago, including a 33-game stint in 2023-24. Mackey was recalled and sent down many times on paper moves last season and has gotten into at least one NHL appearance in five straight years. Bayreuther is the most experienced of them all with 122 NHL outings but none since 2023-24.
With the belief that a few teams might be eyeing the goalie market, there are a trio of options available. Hogberg is the most experienced of the three with 57 NHL outings, including 15 last season. Skarek (two games in 2024-25) and Tomkins (six in 2023-24) joined new teams in free agency this summer and don’t appear likely to be claimed.
These players will be on waivers until 1:00 PM CT on Wednesday.