Devin Cooley has been one of the NHL’s hottest goaltenders as of late. And the Calgary Flames have decided whether he will start again.
Lights out may be an understatement these days for Cooley, who is once again getting the nod to start in the Battle of Alberta. Derek Willis confirmed the news, as did Daily Faceoff. At this point, why would the Flames go back to Dustin Wolf, something that was becoming apparent they wouldn’t do when Cooley started the previous matchup?
Not when Cooley is boasting a .915 save percentage, a 2.67 GAA, a 4-2-0 record, and a .667 quality starts percentage. Or when Cooley has a .955 save percentage on 133 shots over his past four games going into Wednesday night’s matchup.
Expect the Flames to keep starting Cooley if he’s the hot hand, or if they aren’t on a back-to-back. He has been one of the league’s breakout players early in the 2026-27 season. That could change with so much hockey left. But unless it does, fans will likely see a lot of Cooley.
Wednesday night is the moment of truth, with the Flames heading to Edmonton for the Battle of Alberta against the Oilers. Edmonton heads into Wednesday night third in the league in goals scored with 51. Not only Cooley, but the entire lineup must bring its A-game once again.
Calgary Flames Projected Lines And Pairings Against Oilers
Derek Willis also shared projected lines and pairings at 12:37 p.m. EDT. If the projections hold, fans can expect Joel Farabee, Mikael Backlund, and Matt Coronato to man the first line. Farabee has been another breakout player lately, with 11 points and three goals in 11 games.
Yegor Sharangovich, Morgan Frost, and Aydar Suniev are once more gearing up for the second line. Suniev remains on a half-point-per-game pace, with four (three goals) in eight contests.
Matvei Gridin continues to leave his mark in his age-20 campaign. He now has eight points and four goals in 11 contests, and is expected to take the third line. Martin Pospisil and Ryan Strome are slated to join him.
Brennan Othmann looks like he will be on the fourth line with Jonathan Castagna and Adam Klapka. Othmann has yet to produce a point, but his 15 hits in five games continue to show his physical edge.
Kevin Bahl and Simon Nemec again look to take first-pairing minutes. Nemec is creeping toward the half-point-per-game mark, with five in 11 games.
Yan Kuznetsov and Zayne Perekh were listed on the second pairing. This is one of the more exciting young pairings in the league, with Kuznetsov showing off physical play while Perekh has four points and a goal in 11 games.
Finally, Jake Middleton and Zach Whitecloud were listed as the third pairing. Whitecloud has shown his edge, with 19 blocked shots and 17 hits.
Cooley And Co. Can Make A Statement On Wednesday Night
The Calgary Flames are still in building mode and are by far one of the league’s youngest teams, with an average age of 26.7. Meanwhile, the Oilers continue to have Stanley Cup aspirations behind Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and a talented team that is loaded with stars.
This may be Devin Cooley’s and the Flames’ toughest matchup of the season. Still, it is an opportunity for every player projected to wear a Flames jersey on Wednesday night.
If Calgary wins this one, then it will be even harder to think that they are the same team when the puck first dropped on Oct. 1. As for Cooley? It is his chance to make a major statement should he get the best of McDavid and Draisaitl.
Calgary Flames Make Devin Cooley Decision Ahead of Battle of Alberta