Happy draft day, everyone! The 2020 NHL Draft is mere hours away and the Calgary Flames, as of this writing, have a first round pick at their disposal.

Who should they draft? Who will they draft? To answer these questions, we assembled our crack writing staff to our roundtable!

Mike Gould: I think Jacob Perreault checks off a ton of boxes for the Flames. He’s a right-handed sniper who followed up a 30-goal season as a 16-year-old OHL rookie by flirting with 40 goals in his 57-game COVID-shortened season. There are questions about his defence and his skating can certainly improve. That said, he feels like the kind of guy who could step into a role on the power play and immediately be an NHL contributor. He’s well-built and he has NHL bloodlines; his dad, Yanic, was a renowned face-off specialist — most notably, on three separate occasions, for the Toronto Maple Leafs. If Perreault keeps shooting the puck like he has in the OHL, he’ll be a great player. The Flames certainly have room for him on the right side.

Mike Wilson: Rodion Amirov is just a straight-up excellent all-around player. He drives play, controls transition, and is strong defensively. He’s an impact player in all areas of the ice. Dual-threat Mavrik Bourque is also an interesting option. The right-hand shot centre has that “take you out of your seat” high-end skill but his game isn’t flashy for the sake of flash. He’s highly intelligent and highly skilled and would look nice in the Flames top 6 down the road. Treliving has emphasized the Flames prioritize skill, hockey sense, and competitiveness. With that, I present Marat Khusnutdinov. He’s a high energy centre who owns the neutral zone and creates off the rush. He competes like mad and is incredibly aggressive on the puck. It would certainly be entertaining for the Flames to take a big swing at 19.

Craig Petter: The idea of pocketing a tall, beefy right shot shutdown defenceman like Braden Schneider should flush the cheeks of any Flames fan. Nabbing a mature centreman with a top-six ceiling could also hush some uncertainty around the Flames’ future at the position—two-way workhorse Dylan Holloway would be ideal, but someone like USHL Rookie of the Year Brendan Brisson seems a more attainable plug for that (potentially) impending hole.

PJ Parmar: Jan Mysak – High end offensive talent with a natural goal scoring ability. Has the potential to be a top six fixture in the Flames lineup Dylan Holloway – a big and versatile forward that’ll add some grit to the Flames lineup. The Calgary, Alberta product could quickly become a fan favourite with his physical play, constant back checking, and puck handling abilities.

Ryan Pike: I’m a big Braden Schneider guy who adores the way he plays the game. But aside from him, there are a lot of good right shot defenders available: Justin Barron and Helge Grans are also pretty damn good at ice hockey. If not a defender, though, I’d be happy with Jacob Perreault.

Mike Gould: I don’t think Perreault would be a crazy pick at all. I can certainly see that happening. I can also see Braden Schneider or Kaiden Guhle being very real targets for the Flames. Brad Treliving hasn’t picked a defender at the draft since 2017; that’ll change this year. I also wonder about Connor Zary, a tremendous two-way centre out of Kamloops who reminds me a lot of Mikael Backlund. This draft is loaded with centres and it feels inevitable that a top-notch guy from the grouping of Zary, Dylan Holloway, Dawson Mercer, Hendrix Lapierre, and Seth Jarvis falls to Calgary. There will be no shortage of great options for the Flames and I would expect them to take one of Zary, Perreault, Schneider, Guhle, or Lapierre, with the first three feeling most likely. Zary will probably be there if they want a centre; Perreault, if they want a winger; and Schneider, should they covet a defender.

Mike Wilson: Braden Schneider may be the intersection of the best player available and the organizational need for the Flames. At 19, he could be the best defenseman available and it’s no secret the Flames are after a right-hand shot on the back end. Schneider’s defensive fundamentals are exceptional, his puck moving is strong, and his intellect is undeniable.If Schneider isn’t on the board when the Flames are up, sniper Jacob Perreault feels like a safe bet. A deadly shooter off the right-wing he could be one of the most skilled forwards available in the latter stages of round one. There are a few forwards who, if they fell to 19, the Flames might grab. Connor Zary feels like one. The Kamloops centre checks literally every box the Flames scouting staff looks for: high-end skill, serious smarts, and he’s a relentless competitor.

Craig Petter: In a rare intersection between fantasy and reality, Schneider is a feasible projection for the Flames to snag 19th overall. He should fall somewhere within that range, likely to whoever in the late-teens first sets the scopes on a defenceman. If somebody else scoops him though, the Flames will pinpoint the next best forward available at that spot—Connor Zary, if possible, or conceivably even Hendrix Lapierre if the organization wants to gamble on the injury-cursed QMJHL stud.

PJ Parmar: Dylan Holloway – Given his draft projections, mid 10s to early 20s, the prospect could very realistically be drafted by his hometown team. His style of play and soft hands would make him an excellent addition to the Flames lineup, and if available he would definitely be one of the better players to choose from at #19. Tyson Foerster – As a right shot sharpshooter, Foerster fits an organizational need for the Flames. His draft projection indicates that’ll he most likely be available at 19th, making the versatile forward a potential draft target for Brad Treliving and Co.

Ryan Pike: If not Schneider, I could see the Flames going for someone like Noel Gunler, Rodion Amirov or Connor Zary. The Flames heavily, heavily scout the WHL and Europe, so I could see them going to sources that have been fruitful for them in recent years. And if somehow Seth Jarvis falls to 19th, they’ll grab him. But he probably won’t fall that far.