2025 NHL Draft Thread

[BrownDrake]

Assuming we pick something like 18th and 22nd or 20th and 24th, how far could we move up by packaging those two picks? I saw a chart at one time about the relative value of each pick but I’m sure it changes based on the ledges in a particular draft, haven’t been able to find that website.

[Monahammer]

Originally Posted by BrownDrake

Assuming we pick something like 18th and 22nd or 20th and 24th, how far could we move up by packaging those two picks? I saw a chart at one time about the relative value of each pick but I’m sure it changes based on the ledges in a particular draft, haven’t been able to find that website.

There seems to be a "shelf" at around 12-13 right now, so probably around there depending on team preferences and who had already been picked. Top 10s are absurdly hard to acquire. Also I have more confidence in Florida going deep in the playoffs.

[Monahammer]

Jake o'brien or Brady Martin are who may be available around there of interest, imo. But it could be that both are already gone by then

[BrownDrake]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

Jake o'brien or Brady Martin are who may be available around there of interest, imo. But it could be that both are already gone by then

I wonder if that Detroit pick would be available, you would think they should be looking for more help now or a willingness to trade back.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by The Fonz

^disagree

Draft best center available with our first 4 picks. We haven’t had a superstar center in my 25yrs as a fan…. It’s time to prioritize that position.

Reschny another goal tonight.

It's rare to get a superstar player, let alone a center, outside of the top 10 or 15.

You could probably do that strategy for 25 years straight and never get one. Bergerons, Datsyks, and Points are not found every year and are easy to miss.

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Hidden Gems Edition, Vol. 22):

LW/RW Philippe Veilleux (5'9",165lbs)
Val D'Or (QMJHL): 64gp/ 40g/ 47a/ 87pts, -9, 16 PIM

Diminutive winger Philippe Veilleux (ranked # 172 NA Skaters, and #45 by Button) has really turned heads in the second-half. In his first 32 games this season with the Val D'Or Foreurs (who finished 13th, out of 18 teams, but 6th in goals-for) he put up 34 points, but exploded for 53 points in the last 32- finishing 3rd in league scoring, 7th in goals, and leading his team by 11 points. Veilleux is a dynamic offensive winger who plays with prodigious pace and high energy, but doesn't possess high-end quickness or the ability to consistently separate. His straight-ahead speed is perhaps slightly above-average, more quick than fast, but he is slippery and evasive on his edges, with the agility to make quick cuts, spin off of checks, sidestep pressure, and make opponents miss. He is primarily a set-up man, owning high-end vision and awareness to make quick reads and sound decisions, but he has obviously gained more confidence in his goal-scoring abilities. Veilleux is an offensive-generator, and creates chances at a high rate, always a step or two ahead of the play, and retrieves an inordinate amount of pucks in the offensive end to extend zone-time. This occurs due to his quick-thinking, his never giving up on plays, as well as his penchant for stealing pucks, and disrupting breakouts. Despite his stature, he is able to control the half-wall.

Veilleux has a talent for locating space, and is better than most junior-aged players at creating room to operate with his use of patient delays, cutbacks, and lateral pushes, but he can also move defenses back off the rush with his pace, opening spots for a drop-back to the trailer. He frequently baits defenders into attacking him in order to create space to pass into, and is quite proficient at making plays off the wall to high-danger areas. He wields excellent puck-skill, and has the confidence to use it, with clever use of deception, such as fakes, dekes, look-offs, shifts of weight, and inside-outside moves to weave through traffic while hardly getting touched. His handling is plus-level, and he constantly maintains possession for his team, with the puck seemingly glued to his blade. In transition, he pushes the play forward through clean exits and entries with precise passes in give-and-go sequences to stretch defenses and open space, but he can also skate dynamic routes with the puck through the neutral zone to find open lanes, and attack soft spots in coverage. Advanced passing-skill helps him to make quick and accurate feeds while in full-flight with just the right amount of force and weight to the tape of the recipient. His timing is uncanny, with the ability to snap a crisp feed cross-ice, or set up his man on the opposite side of the crease, and he can complete saucer passes over sticks, through layers of traffic. Veilleux has gained confidence in his finish, and gets good velocity on his shot that he can fire off the catch, but more deception is needed in his release as he suffers a high number of blocks- though it's hard to criticize someone with 40 goals. He can fire with precision from anywhere, but he's not afraid to cut to the slot for looks, and times his arrival to the net-front off-puck for second-chance opportunities. He's an inside-driven player, and will attack up the middle off the rush. Off-puck intelligence is a big part of his game, and he relocates off of passes to advantageous positions to be able to support the action in all three zones, and to be a constant playable option for teammates.

Veilleux has solid anticipatory skills, and an improving defensive game, but his details and physical involvement are lacking. He's not nearly as intense on the backcheck as he is in the other two-thirds of the ice, but is learning how to be more disruptive. He is exerting sound positioning to always be on the right side of the puck, he can intercept passes or pick pockets, and seems to be adept at denying entries when he gets the chance, but still has a ways to go in the defensive-third. Most of the time, he exhibits high energy and pace with a non-stop motor, but his intensity and involvement in all areas can wane- a more consistent level of effort is needed, especially for a smaller player with not much of a physical game. Veilleux is not one to throw hits, and it would be foolish to expect him to run opponents over, but he could be far more effective if he were able to initiate contact in order to make a bit more room for himself, and win inside position more frequently. He's not very effective in 50/50 contests, and doesn't win a whole lot of puck-battles, preferring to use his stick and positioning, rather than engaging physically. There's a willingness to take a hit in order to make a play, and he will lean into attackers to push them to the boards, but the lack of physicality is a detriment- and he will need to get bigger and significantly stronger. It's also imperative that he improves his skating speed. Veilleux has the talent and the brains to make it as a top-6 NHL player, but his game some big holes that will require time to fill. Look for him in the middle-rounds.

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Hidden Gems Edition, Vol. 23):

RD Everett Baldwin (6'0"174lbs)
St. George's School (USHS-Prep): 22gp/ 10g/ 10a/ 20pts

Righty Everett Baldwin (ranked # 99 NA Skaters) gave us a glimpse of what he can do in the USHL with Cedar Rapids (1 point in 2 games), and with the NTDP (1 point in 3 games), and he didn't look at all out place. Baldwin, who is 17th in the High School Prep league in ppg, is a well-rounded, two-way defenseman with blazing speed, but he comes with a very big asterisk- he's dominating, but in a vastly inferior league to most of his peers in this draft-class. His aforementioned blazing speed might be the main reason why he is getting so much attention from scouts. He is a fast, fluid skater- one of the fastest defensemen in the draft; not only is he highly mobile in all directions, but he's also extremely agile and shifty on his edges to side-step checks, and fool opponents with his quick changes in pace and direction. He rockets out of the blocks, accelerates effortlessly to top-speed, and separates easily- leaving opponents in the dust. He recovers seamlessly with lightning-quickness after pinching in to the play, explodes laterally, and transitions smoothly. The hands match the feet- well, almost- and he handles steadily while in-stride, with a wide array of one-on-one moves to deke and dangle his way through layers of traffic, and turn defenders inside-out.

Baldwin gets good power on his wrister, with pinpoint accuracy and a snappy, deceptive release than can paralyze goalies, and he's a high-volume shooter. He wields a heavy shot from the point that he gets on net with good consistency, and can act as a playmaking tool to create second-chance opportunities for teammates. He is a creative playmaker and a skilled passer who is confident with the puck on his blade, and exhibits patience and poise; he can see teammates through a crowd, and can thread the needle through traffic. If there's an opening, he will join the rush, and will activate into the play off the point frequently; he runs the offense from the line with intelligence, keeping plays alive and extending offensive zone time. Baldwin possesses high IQ to read plays proactively, and his strong anticipation keeps him ahead of the play in all three zones. He exerts good habits defensively and shows proficiency against the rush with his ability to easily mimic his opponents' footwork in order to maintain a solid gap, cut down angles, and take on secondary threats. Those efforts help to keep attacks to the outside, and he forces a ton of turnovers, dump-ins, and uncontrolled plays. In the zone, he sprints to loose pucks or skates into hands, and upon retrieval, he instantly starts the breakout. He uses an active stick, sharp timing, immaculate positioning, and physicality to separate man from puck, and owns the anticipation to clog lanes and intercept passes. He stays active, moving from disrupting the point at the top of the zone, to battling for pucks below the goal-line. Even with all of the aforementioned traits, he could still stand to improve his consistency of engagement, and become more disruptive in-zone.

Baldwin's best attribute is that he's an ace in transition, from leaving attackers in his wake on retrievals, to breaking out of the zone cleanly by carry or pass, to rushing the puck through the neutral zone, to controlled entries- all while staying calm, cool, and collected. He is adept at using give-and-go chains to draw pressure and pass off, then relocate quickly to a more advantageous spot in open-ice, with the goal of manipulating the opposing defense, and open lanes. He displays a strong first-pass, and can fire off an accurate outlet feed to stretch the ice. He plays a physical brand of hockey, throwing hits, winning battles in greasy areas, and delivering bit hits in open-ice, but can struggle to defend the front of the net against larger opponents. Baldwin needs to get a lot stronger for the next level- he can outmuscle opponents at the High School level, but he won't be able to do it against men. He could also stand to add more power to his shot, and become more consistent in his effort and intensity. For me, 20 points in 22 games at the HS Prep level is not necessarily indicative of offensive prowess, but even if he never fully realizes his potential production-wise, he is still an excellent performer in two-and-a-half zones- with overwhelming speed. He is committed to Providence for the 2026-27 season, and it will be exciting to watch his progress. Look for him in the middle-rounds.

[Fan69]

Originally Posted by Sandman

Draft Thoughts (Hidden Gems Edition, Vol. 23):

RD Everett Baldwin (6'0"174lbs)
St. George's School (USHS-Prep): 22gp/ 10g/ 10a/ 20pts

Righty Everett Baldwin (ranked # 99 NA Skaters) gave us a glimpse of what he can do in the USHL with Cedar Rapids (1 point in 2 games), and with the NTDP (1 point in 3 games), and he didn't look at all out place. Baldwin, who is 17th in the High School Prep league in ppg, is a well-rounded, two-way defenseman with blazing speed, but he comes with a very big asterisk- he's dominating, but in a vastly inferior league to most of his peers in this draft-class. His aforementioned blazing speed might be the main reason why he is getting so much attention from scouts. He is a fast, fluid skater- one of the fastest defensemen in the draft; not only is he highly mobile in all directions, but he's also extremely agile and shifty on his edges to side-step checks, and fool opponents with his quick changes in pace and direction. He rockets out of the blocks, accelerates effortlessly to top-speed, and separates easily- leaving opponents in the dust. He recovers seamlessly with lightning-quickness after pinching in to the play, explodes laterally, and transitions smoothly. The hands match the feet- well, almost- and he handles steadily while in-stride, with a wide array of one-on-one moves to deke and dangle his way through layers of traffic, and turn defenders inside-out.

Baldwin gets good power on his wrister, with pinpoint accuracy and a snappy, deceptive release than can paralyze goalies, and he's a high-volume shooter. He wields a heavy shot from the point that he gets on net with good consistency, and can act as a playmaking tool to create second-chance opportunities for teammates. He is a creative playmaker and a skilled passer who is confident with the puck on his blade, and exhibits patience and poise; he can see teammates through a crowd, and can thread the needle through traffic. If there's an opening, he will join the rush, and will activate into the play off the point frequently; he runs the offense from the line with intelligence, keeping plays alive and extending offensive zone time. Baldwin possesses high IQ to read plays proactively, and his strong anticipation keeps him ahead of the play in all three zones. He exerts good habits defensively and shows proficiency against the rush with his ability to easily mimic his opponents' footwork in order to maintain a solid gap, cut down angles, and take on secondary threats. Those efforts help to keep attacks to the outside, and he forces a ton of turnovers, dump-ins, and uncontrolled plays. In the zone, he sprints to loose pucks or skates into hands, and upon retrieval, he instantly starts the breakout. He uses an active stick, sharp timing, immaculate positioning, and physicality to separate man from puck, and owns the anticipation to clog lanes and intercept passes. He stays active, moving from disrupting the point at the top of the zone, to battling for pucks below the goal-line. Even with all of the aforementioned traits, he could still stand to improve his consistency of engagement, and become more disruptive in-zone.

Baldwin's best attribute is that he's an ace in transition, from leaving attackers in his wake on retrievals, to breaking out of the zone cleanly by carry or pass, to rushing the puck through the neutral zone, to controlled entries- all while staying calm, cool, and collected. He is adept at using give-and-go chains to draw pressure and pass off, then relocate quickly to a more advantageous spot in open-ice, with the goal of manipulating the opposing defense, and open lanes. He displays a strong first-pass, and can fire off an accurate outlet feed to stretch the ice. He plays a physical brand of hockey, throwing hits, winning battles in greasy areas, and delivering bit hits in open-ice, but can struggle to defend the front of the net against larger opponents. Baldwin needs to get a lot stronger for the next level- he can outmuscle opponents at the High School level, but he won't be able to do it against men. He could also stand to add more power to his shot, and become more consistent in his effort and intensity. For me, 20 points in 22 games at the HS Prep level is not necessarily indicative of offensive prowess, but even if he never fully realizes his potential production-wise, he is still an excellent performer in two-and-a-half zones- with overwhelming speed. He is committed to Providence for the 2026-27 season, and it will be exciting to watch his progress. Look for him in the middle-rounds.

Would have no problem using a third on him. Has some of the groundwork and excels in the skating department. I find with young players they have to have something they are good to very good at. A shot, skating, stick handling, something that gives them an edge.

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Hidden Gems Edition, Vol. 24):

LD Maddox Labre (6'2",179lbs)
Victoriaville (QMJHL): 61gp/ 3g/ 16a/ 19pts, -43, 42 PIM

I've heard Harrison Brunicke's name brought up to describe Maddox Labre's situation because, though they may differ a bit stylistically, they both played on bad teams in their draft year, which severely affected their numbers. Labre (ranked #112 NA Skaters) is a member of the Victoriaville Tigres, who finished the season dead-last in the Q standings (3rd-last in the entire CHL, with a .297 win %), and 16th out of 18 teams in goals-for, but he is still young by draft standards (with a June 15th birthday), and is playing in his first full season in the CHL. You wouldn't know it by looking at his numbers, but he's a two-way, play-driving defenseman, with a punishing physical game. His skating is fluid and projectable (though he has a bit of a heel-kick) with a long, powerful stride, and a deep knee bend. Though his mechanics aren't quite perfect, his straight-line speed is above-average, with impressive lateral mobility. Labre is a wonder to watch, with his top-notch handling skill that allows him to weave through traffic using a wide array of one-on-one stickhandling maneuvers, including fakes, dangles, toe-drags, and dekes to bait and mislead defenders. He expertly draws pressure with cutbacks and delays, and looks highly skilled and dynamic in his ability to dismantle defenses, although his pace will need improvement for the next level.

Labre exerts a high level of vision and awareness, with sharply-honed passing skill, blended with a layer of deception in fakes and look-offs. It begins with his ability to effortlessly escape pressure in his own zone by pre-scanning for options, then deking out forecheckers (or simply outskating them), evading checks with cut-backs when necessary, and making sound breakout feeds with calmness and composure. He can find streaking rushers with stretch-passes through the neutral zone at times, and can send outlets cross-ice with apparent ease. He is a high-value transitional driver, and can rush the puck through exit and entry by deking and dangling through traffic to spearhead the attack. He joins the rush often, and will attack up the middle, and go to the net. A set-up man first and foremost, he has an eye for manufacturing constant advantages for teammates, and tries with every touch to create, using every inch of space he can get. He's an inventive playmaker who funnels pucks to the middle and regularly uses cross-ice feeds- he reads the ice well, and makes quick decisions. With exemplary timing, he activates off the line frequently, and stays very active in the offensive zone- he also has a hard point-shot that he gets on-net with good consistency. He skates into passes and runs the blueline with aplomb, moving around to manipulate defenders into opening passing seams. A true workhorse, he is a hard-worker who can play big minutes, putting forth a high compete level to go with a non-stop motor, and he's fairly violent- though he doesn't take all that many penalties. He engages early, dishing out big hits all over the ice, wins more than his fair share of battles in the trenches, knocks opponents off of pucks, and pins opponents to the boards to remove them from the play- using his frame to impose his will.

Labre is engaged in his own zone, though not perfect or mistake-free. He can be quite mean in front of the net, overpowering opponents while delivering hacks, whacks, and crosschecks, and effectively boxes out attackers. He moves surprisingly well laterally, which gives him enormous range when coupled with his active stick. Sometimes his gaps look a bit too loose, but he closes fast and often chokes off entries with a big hit. I really like the foundation this kid has, but he's going to need some work. Quite often, he will try to force plays that aren't there- but some of the blame has to go with his less-than-stellar teammates, who leave plenty of his ideas unrequited. I have no doubt that he would've been much higher up the scoring list if he were on a better team. He can leave his partner hanging out to dry by being overzealous in his activations, so he will need a tune-up on his decision-making in this area. There are plenty of times when he tries to do too much on his own, which may also be because of the team he plays for, but he often hangs on to the puck for too long, thus skating himself into trouble. Like his teammates, he is prone to miscues and errors defensively, and needs some work on his play-selection in this area of the ice. He can lose his man in heavy traffic, and can overcommit too early in other instances. I like this kid, and I think he's a pretty safe pick, due to having a solid base to work with. Look for him in the 3rd, or 4th-round.

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Hidden Gems Edition, Vol. 25):

LD Matthew Grimes (6'1",185lbs)
Sioux Falls (USHL): 54gp/ 4g/ 9a/ 13pts, +10, 51 PIM

Lefty Matthew Grimes made an appearance for Team USA in last summer's Hlinka-Gretzky, scoring 3 points in 5 games, and I thought he looked good for the most part. Grimes is a two-way, puck-moving defenseman with excellent mobility in all directions on a long, powerful stride, and superb maneuverability from his edges. His value lies mostly in his puck-movement; he is highly impactful in transitioning the puck up-ice, with his confidence and poise in possession of the puck, and his ability to weave through traffic with full control. He can support the rush with connective passes, or he can spearhead the attack- dictating pace, and pushing defenses back with his speed. Even when under duress, he usually makes intelligent plays, and uses various forms of deception to mislead defenders into going the wrong way- including look-offs, feints, dekes, and dangles. He remains calm and composed when shaking off pressure in retrievals, locating quick avenues to make his escape, then kickstarting the breakout with smart outlets, or short first-passes- making the whole process look relatively easy. He can quarterback the rush from the back, or jump into the action to act as an extra forward, but he's not very dynamic, and mostly plays a safe, simple game with smarts. Upon entry, he makes room for his teammates with cut-backs and button-hooks to draw pressure, or will attack up the middle to push defenders back, in order to open space for a drop-pass to the trailer.

Grimes is more of a facilitator at this point than a true playmaker, and perhaps lacks high-end vision and creativity. He walks the blueline effectively, manages the play well from the point position, and makes sound decisions as to when to activate into the play; more often than not, it's to keep the play alive, or snuff the breakout. He's a skilled passer though, with precision feeds off of his play-reading ability, and makes quick decisions- blending deception into his distribution game, using fakes and look-offs. Grimes' handling skill is a definite strength, with his quick hands and deft puck-control, but his shot is nothing too special- though he gets it on net with good consistency to create opportunities for teammates in proximity to the net. He is competitive and battles hard to win pucks, but he can be overpowered at times, and needs to get a lot stronger. Though he will engage opponents aggressively, he isn't the most physical player, and opts to use his solid positioning and reach to separate man from puck. He will pin attackers to the wall, push opponents off the puck, and use his frame as leverage to get inside position, but he's not the biggest hitter.

Another area where Grimes shows value is his play against the rush, and in the defensive-third. He is well-positioned in his own-zone, with good anticipation, and exerts strong gap-control with an active stick to cause turnovers, and force dump-ins. He hounds puck-carriers, taking away time and space, and is proficient at boxing opponents out from the net- although he has some issues with bigger players. He is impressive with how he shuts down plays with his amazing east-west mobility in the neutral zone. Grimes has excellent tools, and scouts see him as a potential bottom-4 defenseman in the show- how he develops will determine if he plays on the second, or third pairing. When he gets too fancy, he tends to get himself into trouble, and he often tries to do too much on his own. He can be overaggressive against the rush, and sometimes bites on enemy fakes, to inadvertently allow entries. In the defensive zone, he sometimes has positional lapses, and can be prone to mental mistakes and miscues. Grimes is committed to the University of Minnesota for 2026-27, and he might have to wait until later rounds to be selected.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

Jake o'brien or Brady Martin are who may be available around there of interest, imo. But it could be that both are already gone by then

O’Brien is who I like as well. I’ve seen him as high as 5th and as low as 10th in rankings. Given the bias for centres, I expect he’ll go closer to 5th. The only way the Flames are getting him is if they win the lottery.

[Monahammer]

Originally Posted by BrownDrake

I wonder if that Detroit pick would be available, you would think they should be looking for more help now or a willingness to trade back.

Would you do the Florida pick and andersson for the Detroit pick?

I think i would.

[Fan69]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

O’Brien is who I like as well. I’ve seen him as high as 5th and as low as 10th in rankings. Given the bias for centres, I expect he’ll go closer to 5th. The only way the Flames are getting him is if they win the lottery.

Someone is going to end up between 10 and 14 i think.

Misa,mqueen,frondell,obrien,hagens,desnoyers, all slotted top ten. Possible top tens, bear,martin,reschny. With schaefer thats the top ten.

However martone, jackson,eklund,possibly lakovic,kevan,mrtka,carbonneau, could also make top ten appearances.

End result one of the top five centers will probably be available around 8 to ten.
One of martin reschny, cootes between 10 to 15.
If you can trade anywhere near picks 8 to 12 you walk out with a damned good center prospect.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Can they?
Centres are a far more scarce commodity. Teams either need them, want more of them, or if they have enough aren't going to trade them.

The idea you can trade wingers for a center isn't realistic. Centers are just DAMN hard to get.

This is why I hate the 'just take the BPA' argument. The Flames have been doing that for 40 years, and the result is that we are ALWAYS thin at C.

Centers are taken early because - wait for it - they are a scarce commodity. If you sit around hoping the C will fall to you as the BPA, you will never get one.

The Flames should be drafting 4 Cs with their first 4 picks this year. Three at a minimum (if someone crazy falls into their lap for one of the picks)

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

Would you do the Florida pick and andersson for the Detroit pick?

I think i would.

Me too.
Detroit is interesting. Every off-season it feels like the perspective is that the pressure on Yzerman must be mounting. But to this point he hasn't really put his futures on the table to try and improve things. He's largely leaned into free agency.

It's shaping up to be a failed re-build. Some of that is bad luck - they didn't bottom out enough to get premium picks. And part of it is that i think they've drafted a lot of solid all around players, but they lack high end elite skill.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Me too.
Detroit is interesting. Every off-season it feels like the perspective is that the pressure on Yzerman must be mounting. But to this point he hasn't really put his futures on the table to try and improve things. He's largely leaned into free agency.

It's shaping up to be a failed re-build. Some of that is bad luck - they didn't bottom out enough to get premium picks. And part of it is that i think they've drafted a lot of solid all around players, but they lack high end elite skill.

Could be a look at our future as well if we don't lean into a rebuild.

But I wouldn't trade a 1st with Andersson, just do a 1 for 1 would be fine.

[looooob]

random meandering over to a mock draft from this morning. 19 and 23 might be as good as we can hope for for draft position...


Kindel and Cootes. don't hate it but Reschny would still be there (for the first pick not the 2nd)
getting Reschny and one of the other 2 guys, I could live with that


https://bleacherreport.com/articles/...st-draft-order

[Tbull8]

Gotta think they’d take a flyer on ryabkin at that point. But I don’t mind if it worked out this way!

[YyjFlames]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

This is why I hate the 'just take the BPA' argument. The Flames have been doing that for 40 years, and the result is that we are ALWAYS thin at C.

Centers are taken early because - wait for it - they are a scarce commodity. If you sit around hoping the C will fall to you as the BPA, you will never get one.

The Flames should be drafting 4 Cs with their first 4 picks this year. Three at a minimum (if someone crazy falls into their lap for one of the picks)

I doubt the Flames, or any team, just pick 100% BPA, but they tier their players and most teams aren't going to reach for a player in a tier below if they think that player is a fairly big step back.

Looking at who they picked over the last decade, I also don't think the Flames have really ignored the position either, but haven't had as many high picks (or many picks altogether) and just haven't been able to find a stud centre with a late first rounder or later in the draft.

The only year that this might hold where the Flames needed centres and took another player first is maybe in 2023 where the Flames took Honzek and Oliver Moore and Charlie Stramel were available. But it sounded like the Flames' scouts REALLY liked Honzek, and it's hard to not take a guy you have ranked considerably higher than anyone else on the list.

But you could also argue that in 2022, they prioritized a centre for their first pick instead of BPA and took Topi Ronni (blech) over Hutson. Mckenzie had Ronni ranked as 65 on his list and Wheeler had him at 80. Mckenzie had Hutson at 40 and Wheeler had him at 19.

This year, fortunately, it looks like there will be plenty of centres in the first round who will be in the same BPA tiers -- but generally, I'm not a fan of reaching for a position as a team is generally at the whim of where they're drafting.

[Canada 02]

Nothing to do with anything, just an observation

Detroit has had 7 top 10 picks in the last 8 drafts; Yzerman was GM for 5 of them

The Flames have had 10 in their 45 year history