Now 36, Calgary Flames goaltender Mike Smith insists age is just a number entering his 13th NHL season.

He told the Calgary Sun on Thursday he believes he still has plenty left in the tank.

"I haven't aged five years in one year, so I think I still feel young," Smith said. "I still feel like I have a lot to give. I still feel like I've played some of my best hockey in the last three or four years. Hopefully that continues and I can stay healthy and be as consistent as possible.

"Age is just a number as far as I'm concerned."

Smith, whose birthday is in March, is entering his second season with the Flames. He posted a 25-22-6 record last season with a 2.65 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage.

He enters this season as one of five goaltenders over the age of 36. His 55 starts last season tied with 37-year-old Ottawa Senators goaltender Craig Anderson for 15th most in the league. Smith did, however, miss a full month while dealing with a groin injury. Entering the final season of his six-year contract signed with the Arizona Coyotes in 2013, Smith is eager to prove he's still got it.

"It was important for me to come in and have a really good start," he said. "It's another important year – the last year of my contract. I feel like I want to keep this thing going and be a stabilizing force back there. The consistency is something you always battle with as a goalie. As someone who likes to play a lot, you want to be as consistent as possible. Everyone in the league likes to have that; that's something you scratch and claw for throughout your whole career…Then, the winning part of it. You want to be in the playoffs, that's a team goal we'll talk about more. But being a part of this organization, you want to get this team back in the playoffs.

"I want to be a big part of that and that's something I think about too."

Flames general manager Brad Treliving was busy this off-season, signing forwards James Neal, Derek Ryan and Austin Czarnik in free agency and adding Noah Hanifin and Elias Lindholm in a deal with the Carolina Hurricanes. Treliving stood pat with his goaltender and said Thursday he has no reason to doubt Smith's ability.

"He's an elite athlete," Treliving told the Sun of Smith. "He's a top goaltender in this league. When he's doing what Mike does, he's as good as anybody. He's got a special ability to play the puck. He's a fiery, competitive guy. I love that about his personality. He's focused on one thing, and that's winning. His whole craft is dedicated to how do we win.

"Those are great things."

The Flames will open their preseason next week in China and begin their regular season on Oct. 3 against the Vancouver Canucks.