Also for fun I asked chatGPT.
Draft success in hockey analysis generally considers:
Hit rate (players who become NHL regulars, e.g., 200+ games)
Star–vs–role player output (quality at draft slot vs. expected value)
Total contribution to franchise success (games and production)
Relative pick volume (how many picks a team actually had)
Era and strategy context — some teams tank for high picks; others draft mid-to-late consistently
No single definitive league ranking exists publicly, but combining known analytics and reportage gives a reasonable comparison.
�� Flames Draft Performance (2000–Present)
⭐ Strengths:
Strong efficiency relative to pick volume, especially 2007–2018:
According to analysis using criteria similar to The Athletic’s, the Flames were second in the league from 2007–2018 in drafting value when normalized for how few picks they had. They identified notable NHL regulars and outperformed many teams with more picks.
Produced quality contributors like Johnny Gaudreau, Matthew Tkachuk, Mikael Backlund, Sean Monahan, and T.J. Brodie — foundational pieces for multiple seasons.
Draft classes like 2011 and 2015–2016 laid good depth and long-term NHL contributors.
❗ Weaknesses and Misses:
First-round misses offset some hits — e.g., Greg Nemisz, Mark Jankowski, Sven Baertschi underperformed relative to expectations.
Aggregate success rates are slightly below league average in terms of getting players to 200+ NHL games; the Flames produced ~21% vs. an expected ~23% historical rate.
Lack of high lottery picks: Calgary has rarely picked in the top 5 due to competitiveness most seasons, limiting the chance to land elite franchise talents.
Ranks Calgary in the 4-6 group: Strong relative results vs. pick volume; hit on key middle–round values; solid first-round hits vs. misses
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