Is Devin Cooley the NHL’s Most Overlooked Goaltender?

devin cooley ranks first in save percentage among qualified NHL goaltenders and has stood out this season despite a recent 3-2 shootout loss to the Ducks on Sunday. He sits among the league leaders in several advanced metrics that underline his consistency for the Flames. That contrast — top-tier numbers and mixed team results — is fueling a debate over how much recognition he deserves.
Numbers: Why Devin Cooley is standing out
League rankings among qualified NHL goaltenders place devin cooley first in save percentage at. 922 and sixth in goals-against average at 2. 28. His high-danger save percentage of. 863 ranks in the 97th percentile when compared with a league average near. 813, a gap that points to exceptional performance on the shots that matter most. Team totals list him at 7-6-4 with roughly a 2. 24–2. 28 goals-against average and a save percentage around. 922–. 923 over 20 appearances; those dual snapshots show both the league-level ranking and his season log over that stretch. As of March 4, 2026 ET, those numbers frame the question of recognition versus public notice.
Immediate reactions
Flames head coach Ryan Huska has been vocal about the netminder’s impact. “I think he’s starting to, ” Huska said, noting a growing awareness of the goaltender’s play. “Maybe early on in the year he didn’t get as much (credit) as he probably deserved. I think now he is, because he’s been really consistent with what he’s done when he’s gone in there. “
Huska singled out the compete element that has defined many of those nights: “Even (against Dallas) when the game was out of reach, he competed and tried to make a save on everything that was coming at him and that’s what you love about him, ” Huska added. “I was really proud of him for that. ” The recent 3-2 shootout loss saw two regulation goals scored against him — a bad bounce and a power-play snipe by Cutter Gauthier — followed by two shootout tallies that decided the result.
Quick context: role and recent form
Listed as a steady option behind the team’s primary starter, devin cooley has been used to give Dustin Wolf a breather at times this season. His combination of league-leading save percentage and the backup label is central to why some inside the organization emphasize his value even when wins are scarce.
What’s next for Devin Cooley
The Flames face a run of challenging opponents — including a string of high-powered offenses at home — that will test both the team and devin cooley in quick succession. Expect coaching staff assessments, lineup decisions and more scrutiny on goaltending usage as the club moves into that stretch; devin cooley’s next outings will be watched closely as a measure of whether league recognition follows the numbers. Observers will be tracking game-to-game performance and any resulting changes to how he is deployed moving forward.




