2026 NHL Draft Thread

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

Happens to me constantly, like way more than should be statistically likely. I ran it 10 times earlier today, Flames won once and the Oilers 3 times.

Thank the heavens you won't be operating the lottery ball machine.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by Caged Great

I feel like it's pretty much guaranteed that the Flames luck will be that they will have the worst season in franchise history --> pick 3rd.

It would be statistically the most likely pick should they finish last...people will act like its a bad break though

[sureLoss]

Tankathon's Mock if the Flames hold 1st OA.

1. LW Gavin McKenna
23. C Yegor Shilov
33. C Ilya Morozov

If Flames fall to 2nd or 3rd OA. They take Lawrence with their 1st pick.

[Mitch]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

33 is such a great pick. I am always jealous of that team that enters the 2nd day of the draft and gets their pick of the litter from all the 'fallers' that somehow didn't get picked in the 1st round. Every draft I am on pins an needles hoping that the Flames end up drafting that one of those 3-4 guys who I think had the upside to be a 1st round pick, and almost every draft I get annoyed as they are all gone before the Flames pick.


Day 2 of the draft will be that much more exciting this time around!

Last time we had an early 2nd round pick - 2014 pick #34, Mason McDonald. Oof.

[sureLoss]

Originally Posted by Mitch

Last time we had an early 2nd round pick - 2014 pick #34, Mason McDonald. Oof.

or traded 35th OA (Jordan Kyrou) at the 2016 draft for Brian Elliott

[Bingo]

First time in with the draft rankings.

Only four rankings so far, but with the standings thought it would be fun to get this going.

Bold is the range around the Flames pick. Red is the current pick by standings (not including lottery results).

Midpoints suggest Verhoeff, Suvanto and Di Lorio

1 Gavin McKenna LW 1.00
2 Ivar Stenberg RW 2.25
3 Keaton Verhoeff RHD 2.75
4 T Lawrence C 5.25
5 Ryan Lin RHD 7.00
6 Ethan Belchetz LW 7.25
7 Mathis Preston RW 8.75
8 Ryan Roobroeck LW 9.00
9 Viggo Björck C 9.00
10 X Villeneuve LHD 10.50
11 Chase Reid RHD 11.25
12 Daxon Rudolph RHD 11.75
13 Alberts Smits LHD 14.00
14 Juho Piiparinen RHD 14.33
15 Carson Carels LHD 15.25
16 Adam Novotný LW 16.00
17 E Hermansson RW 17.00
18 J.P. Hurlbert LW 17.33
19 M Nordmark LW 18.75
20 M Gustafsson LHD 20.25
21 Nikita Klepov LW 21.75
22 Jack Hextall C 23.00
23 Oliver Suvanto C 23.50
24 N Aaram-Olsen LW 23.67
25 Tomas Chrenko C 23.75
26 B Edwards C 24.33
27 Yegor Shilov C 25.67
28 Oscar Hemming LW 26.00
30 Oscar Holmertz C 26.00
31 Caleb Malhotra C 27.00
32 W Håkansson LHD 27.00
33 Ales Di Iorio C 29.33
34 Lars Steiner RW 29.67
35 Adam Valentini C 33.00

[ForeverFlameFan]

Even if we don't win 1st OA or even have a top 5 pick, there are a ton of good prospects in that top 10.

[the-rasta-masta]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Tankathon's Mock if the Flames hold 1st OA.

1. LW Gavin McKenna
23. C Yegor Shilov
33. C Ilya Morozov

If Flames fall to 2nd or 3rd OA. They take Lawrence with their 1st pick.

If the Flames finish dead last, wouldn't we hold the 32nd pick instead of 33rd since Ottawa is being penalized with losing their 1st rounder this year? It would be like having 3 first round picks!

[The EBUG's EBUG]

Really good year to be selling to contenders whilst also needing center prospects. So many fun looking Cs in the 20s.

If you can walk out of there with one of the 3 big boys plus some combination of at least 2 first round centers then you're in a pretty fun spot. Obviously BPA still applies but it's nice that we should be able to do that and also address a clear organizational need.

[Tbull8]

Mckenna
Lawrence
Stenberg
Verhoeff
Belchetz

is my top 5 order

[Erick Estrada]

2027 draft looks better for center availability in the top 10. Take BPA this draft and next season they can target a center.

[Jiggy]

Anyone know if Lawrence is injured again? He's only played two games this year.

[CKPThunder]

Doesn't Lawrence's resume sound like Backlund's when he was drafted? High IQ, strong two way center. Strong skater with decent shot. Both 6' and somewhat injury prone early on. If Flames don't get McKenna, I hope Flames go with BPA regardless of position. If they think that is Lawrence then I'll trust their judgement. When I read Lawrence's scouting report, it sounded exactly like Backlund's back in the day.

[Tbull8]

Originally Posted by CKPThunder

Doesn't Lawrence's resume sound like Backlund's when he was drafted? High IQ, strong two way center. Strong skater with decent shot. Both 6' and somewhat injury prone early on. If Flames don't get McKenna, I hope Flames go with BPA regardless of position. If they think that is Lawrence then I'll trust their judgement. When I read Lawrence's scouting report, it sounded exactly like Backlund's back in the day.

I've heard Aho as a pretty good comp

Mckenna - Panarin
Lawrence - Aho
Stenberg - Nylander
Verhoeff - Pietrangelo
Belchetz - Brady Tkachuk

[Wedge]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

2027 draft looks better for center availability in the top 10. Take BPA this draft and next season they can target a center.

Agreed. The idea that this "low" finish is a one off is wrong. While we won't necessarily be dead last next year, assuming we trade some of veterans that have been discussed, we will be right near the bottom. Short term pain ...

[devo22]

snagging a pair of centers with the Vegas pick and our own 2nd sounds good to me. Class isn't center heavy, but there should be options in the late 1st/early 2nd.

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by dino7c

It would be statistically the most likely pick should they finish last...people will act like its a bad break though

It would be a bad break.

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Tankathon's Mock if the Flames hold 1st OA.

1. LW Gavin McKenna
23. C Yegor Shilov
33. C Ilya Morozov

If Flames fall to 2nd or 3rd OA. They take Lawrence with their 1st pick.

That would be an absolute DREAM scenario!

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by Jiggy

Anyone know if Lawrence is injured again? He's only played two games this year.

Yup, he came back for two games, and has now missed a few more.

[Monahammer]

I have been reading up on Morozov and Shilov a lot.
I think having a small Russian line modeled on the old production lines of DRW is a good strategy in the back to more bipolar world we currently live in. Gridin with some strong russian talent manning a line has a lot of appeal to me.