2026 NHL Draft Thread

[Jiri Hrdina]

Lawrence is still my #3.

[NewFan]

If we unable to draft this year a player who can be game changer and who can make his line mates better player, then season will be vast.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Thing is they need a top 2 pick then IMO

McKenna and Stenberg are the two elite offensive talents in this draft.

Verhoeff, Reid, Malholtra, Lawrence...would all be nice pieces but not sure they are game breaking talents.

Bjorck might actually be the guy that is more high risk, high reward after the top 2 that could be a game breaker offensively.

Yup. For offensive gamebreakers you've got 1) McKenna, and 2) Stenberg. That's really it. After that, you've got a handful of solid picks, and I would want one of the Cs: 1) Malhotra 2) Laurence 3) Bjorck (but any of them would be fine)

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by NewFan

If we unable to draft this year a player who can be game changer and who can make his line mates better player, then season will be vast.

the season is already vast

[TheIronMaiden]

The Flames will be just as bad next year, maybe even worse. lets be honest competitive by the 2027-28 season is a pipe dream.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

The Flames will be just as bad next year, maybe even worse. lets be honest competitive by the 2027-28 season is a pipe dream.

Good thing that isn't the goal then.

The plan is for the team to start to look like it's becoming more competitive - that there is optimism and excitement. The 27/28 team will include:

Wolf, Zary, Coronato, Gridin, Brzustewicz, Honzek, Parekh, our 26 1st and maybe some of:

our 27 1st, Reschny, Potter, Wyttenbach

and we still have (or will be acquiring) several other 1sts, plus the full stable of prospects we already have, from which a few surprises should emerge.

That team won't be competitive, but it will be more than exciting enough to fill the new building and start to create the excitement the fans, and the owners, are wanting.

[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Good thing that isn't the goal then.

The plan is for the team to start to look like it's becoming more competitive - that there is optimism and excitement. The 27/28 team will include:

Wolf, Zary, Coronato, Gridin, Brzustewicz, Honzek, Parekh, our 26 1st and maybe some of:

our 27 1st, Reschny, Potter, Wyttenbach

and we still have (or will be acquiring) several other 1sts, plus the full stable of prospects we already have, from which a few surprises should emerge.

That team won't be competitive, but it will be more than exciting enough to fill the new building and start to create the excitement the fans, and the owners, are wanting.

I am happy with that. I am all in for as long as it takes. No one thinks about bad old years when they talk about the panthers. They talk about 3 back to back Stanley cup finals and 2 cups.

[D as in David]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

the season is already vast

The NHL isn't going to a 84 game season until next year.

[Tkachukwagon]

Bjorck propaganda

https://twitter.com/user/status/2014380540627988938

[Enoch Root]

I just hope that all the Cs (Bjorck, Laurence and Malhotra) continue to show significant progression and development, and push themselves to the top of the draft lists, come June.

I continue to favour McKenna, but acquiring an elite C is always a priority. And if any of these 3 push their way to the top - great!

[SuperMatt18]

If Bjorck successfully plays 1C for the rest of the season I think he enters the top 3 conversation.

At the WJC he looked almost equal to Stenberg and McKenna, but didn't have the full book of performance to go with it.

If he makes that jump he enters the conversation with those 2 IMO.

Flames need to start losing again to finish 2nd last - need that top 4 pick guaranteed.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

If Bjorck successfully plays 1C for the rest of the season I think he enters the top 3 conversation.

At the WJC he looked almost equal to Stenberg and McKenna, but didn't have the full book of performance to go with it.

If he makes that jump he enters the conversation with those 2 IMO.

Flames need to start losing again to finish 2nd last - need that top 4 pick guaranteed.

Rightly or wrongly i think his size will hold him out of the top 3.
Marco Rossi is the comparable I come back to. Same size, and Rossi in his draft year showed a tremendous amount of skill, and the same type of compete that Bjorck has. He went #9.

I think Bjorck could go higher than that, but I think he enters the conversation at around 5 or 6.

[TheIronMaiden]

The Flames have to pick the BPA, and if that is one of the many good D men available aroun pick 3-6 then so be it. No need to reach down for a Centre this draft, next year has a better crop. Lots of interesting centers in the 26-37 range where the Flames have two picks close together.

[CKPThunder]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Rightly or wrongly i think his size will hold him out of the top 3.
Marco Rossi is the comparable I come back to. Same size, and Rossi in his draft year showed a tremendous amount of skill, and the same type of compete that Bjorck has. He went #9.

I think Bjorck could go higher than that, but I think he enters the conversation at around 5 or 6.

Aren't Stenberg and Bjorck close to height and weight? I always thought they were close.

[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by CKPThunder

Aren't Stenberg and Bjorck close to height and weight? I always thought they were close.

5'11" vs 5'9"

[CKPThunder]

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

5'11" vs 5'9"

Thanks. I read Stenberg recently was measured at 5'11" and Bjorck is now at 5'10". Bjorck is also 5.5 months younger.

[stemit14]

Interesting that the latest rankings from Elite prospects has Malhotra at 7th, Lawrence at 11th and Bjorck at 13th.

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts:

Jan.22nd: One of the biggest early-season secrets is starting to become common knowledge, as RD Tommy Bleyl is starting to climb the rankings- even showing up in the first-round on a few lists. He was given a "C"-rating by Central Scouting in their Preliminary Rankings- indicating a possible 4th, or 5th-round pick, but he is now #35 on their list of North American Skaters in their Mid-Terms. While he's a bit older, sporting a December 1st birthday, he is currently the highest-scoring blueliner in the QMJHL by points (48 in 39 games), and ppg (1.23), while also sitting in a three-way tie for first in plus/minus (+36). The team he plays for, the Moncton Wildcats, are the 2nd-best team in the league, and are also the second-highest scoring, with 180 goals-for in 40 contests. The native of Schenectady, NY leads the Wildcats backend by an incredible 28 points. While he is listed on most outlets as being 6'0" tall, he has been measured to be 5'10.75",165 lbs; I think if he were truly a six-footer, he would be a sure-fire first-rounder, and there would be no doubt.

There isn't much that Ryan Lin or Xavier Villeneuve can do, that Tommy Bleyl can't. He's one of the best skaters in this draft, with an explosive start-up, a smooth stride, superb edgework, and blistering speed in all directions. He easily wins races, sidesteps checks, slices through traffic, and makes defenders retreat backwards on their heels. His feet allow him to close gaps quickly against oncoming rushers, angle them to the outside, and outrun pressure in retrievals while scanning for a breakout feed. With his blinding speed, and the fast hands to match, he is highly elusive and difficult to catch when he decides to rush the puck up-ice while blazing through coverage in the neutral zone- which can do through controlled exit and entry, to the bewilderment of his opponents. Despite his smaller frame, he protects the puck well when carrying, but he is also a poised and efficient puck-mover through his acuity in reading the play, and his spot-on decision-making when passing. Bleyl is highly active in the offensive zone, from leading the rush, to activating into the play from the point, to walking the line smoothly to pry open passing seams; he exhibits strong play-creation ability, with high-end instincts, and drives the offense with his elevated vision and awareness. His passing skill is also well-developed, giving him the ability to thread the needle through small spaces in traffic with crispness and precision- he is the ideal PP quarterback. Bleyl takes a lot of shots from the point as well, but mostly as a playmaking tool that creates a ton of opportunities for teammates around the net. While he has problems with handling bigger opponents, and could stand to further develop his details, awareness, and positioning, Bleyl is actually a good defender, and surprisingly has a nice layer of physicality in his repertoire. Still, he does most of his work in the defensive zone with his quick feet, his smarts, and a well-timed stick. Scouts will be concerned with his size, although he's a lot stronger than he looks, but the biggest question with Bleyl is just how translatable his game will be; he will find it hard to be as dynamic as he is now against higher competition. Look for him in the early second-round, with a chance of sneaking in to the first.

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts:

Jan.23rd: A player who caught my eye in this past summer's Hlinka Gretzky Cup was Swedish RW/C Ludvig Andersson (5'11",192lbs), who managed to produce 4 assists in 5 games while wearing an "A", and playing in the bottom-six as a checker. At a glance, Andersson looks like a player destined for a checking/energy role in any pro league he plays in, due to his rather robust physicality and defensive acumen, but he has really been killing it with Orebro of the U20 league, piling up 13 goals and 32 points in just 23 games. While some of the credit for those stats goes to playing on a high-scoring team with LW Niklas Aaram-Olsen, C Alexander Command, and D Axel Elofsson (he is tied in points with all of them), it is still impressive, and good enough to make him the #39-ranked European Skater on Central Scouting's Mid-Term list. He is currently tied for 7th in U20 scoring, and tied for 18th with a +13. Even though he only put up 2 points in 4 games in November's 5-Nations, his play still garnered good reviews for his standout defensive performance, as well as his penalty-killing prowess.

Andersson may only stand 5'11", but he is stocky and uncommonly strong; he reminds me a bit of Mike Peca for his penchant for hitting like a freight train, as well as his attention to playing sound defense. He's a high-motor, high-energy, high-compete player with a relentless work-ethic and the grit to engage physically, and grind it out along the boards. A defensive specialist with attention to detail, he hunts down pucks doggedly, erases time and space, picks pockets, puts his body on the line to block shots, and is generally a frustrating player to go up against with how he is always in his opponents' faces to apply pressure. Andersson reads the ice in his own-zone very well, and disrupts the play with an active stick; he knocks down passes, blocks lanes, and pokes pucks away from attackers. He is tenacious in battles, and can win possession from bigger players by outworking them; he is a solid shut-down option, and a stellar penalty-killer. Andersson isn't a speed-demon, but he is swift on his feet, agile on his edges, and exerts reliable puck-management with his well-developed handling and protection skill. Though he tries to do too much in the offensive zone at times, and can hold on to the puck too long, he displays plus-level offensive awareness, sporting solid instincts to create advantages, and well-honed passing skill to connect with teammates in high-danger. There are flashes of high-end creativity and vision at times though, and he can pull off some of the more difficult plays under pressure, while on the fly. He is inside-driven, and not afraid to crash the crease, but he can score from further out with a dangerous wrister, a snappy release, and a keen knowledge of how to use screens to his advantage. Most scouts say that he is likely going to play bottom-six minutes in the NHL if he makes it. Look For him in the middle-rounds.

[Morozee]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Good thing that isn't the goal then.



The plan is for the team to start to look like it's becoming more competitive - that there is optimism and excitement. The 27/28 team will include:



Wolf, Zary, Coronato, Gridin, Brzustewicz, Honzek, Parekh, our 26 1st and maybe some of:



our 27 1st, Reschny, Potter, Wyttenbach



and we still have (or will be acquiring) several other 1sts, plus the full stable of prospects we already have, from which a few surprises should emerge.



That team won't be competitive, but it will be more than exciting enough to fill the new building and start to create the excitement the fans, and the owners, are wanting.

Yes. Hopefully a good percentage of our new core will be on the roster by 27/28. I guess they could be "competitive", in the way we are now. Contender? No, too soon.

At the risk of starting yet another never ending CP semantics debate, I think there's a big difference between being competitive and being a contender.