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FN AHL Report Cards: Turner Ottenbreit was a reliable defensive presence for the Wranglers

Paige Siewert — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 18:00:25 GMT

Turner Ottenbreit joined the Calgary Wranglers as an extra body on the blue line in the 2025-26 season. He was added to the American Hockey League club’s roster on a PTO prior to training camp and earned himself a good long look with the team. Ottenbreit has bounced around the AHL and ECHL over his professional career and spent last season with the Milwaukee Admirals. By about a third of the way through his first season with the Wranglers, it was realized that he filled a need on this roster.

What were the expectations for Turner Ottenbreit in 2025-26?

Ottenbreit was expected to bring more of a veteran presence to the team and showcase his mature defensive abilities. He seemed to be a good and available option to add to the D-core to keep that friendly competition for a spot in the lineup while also being a body if injuries or call-ups happened. Ottenbreit had shown in previous years that he can score if given the opportunity, but this was not his main role for Calgary. He came into town off a two point, 49 game season with the Admirals.

How did Turner Ottenbreit perform in 2025-26?

Turner Ottenbreit ended up being very much a team guy from the get go and fit in really well with this squad. He knows quite a few guys around the league and has a playful way of bonding with his teammates with his chirps. These translate on the ice and he shows at times how he can be a scrappy agitator to his opponents. The 28-year-old defender was the oldest guy on the blue line by just a few days next to Daniil Miromanov and played on the same WHL team as Lucas Ciona as a leader, just a few years earlier.

Ottenbreit was rotated in and out of the lineup to start the season, but by the time Yan Kuznetsov made the jump to the Flames, he was an everyday defender. Once it was realized Kuznetsov was gone for the year and Hunter Brzustewicz would likely not be back to the Wranglers as a regular option, Turner Ottenbreit was signed to an AHL deal. He signed this on Dec. 12 and played out the rest of the season with the team.

Ottenbreit ended up appearing in 57 games with the Wranglers and put up his best numbers in his last four seasons, with three goals and 10 assists. One of these goals was a shorthanded goal in their winning streak in February.

Carter King to Turner Ottenbreit for the shorty! pic.twitter.com/OgzpPQPZYL

— Paige Siewert (@thathockeygirly) February 21, 2026

He jumped around the pairings a little but was mostly on the left side with Daniil Miromanov. When he was not with Miromanov, he also got some games with Hunter Brzustewicz over his run with the Wranglers over the Olympic break, Jeremie Poirier prior to his trade, Gavin White, Etienne Morin or Simon Mack. He’d also serve as the extra defender when the Wranglers went to an 11 forward and seven defenceman option for a few of their games. Ottenbreit was reliable and clean on the back end and made room for his defensive partners to experiment and show their offensive capabilities from the blue line.

What’s the future outlook for Turner Ottenbreit?

Turner Ottenbreit is not pushing the envelope now for NHL time or to take up an NHL contract spot, so he’d really be an easy guy to bring back on an AHL contract if that’s what the team decides. Right now, the Wranglers have four options on defence. Axel Hurtig, Abram Wiebe, Etienne Morin and loosely Hunter Brzustewicz. Brzustewicz is still waiver-exempt but after his split season between the AHL and NHL, there’s a pretty good chance he might not be back with the Wranglers.

Daniil Miromanov has reportedly already made the decision to go back to the KHL and that leaves Artem Grushnikov and Gavin White as RFAs and Nick Cicek as a UFA. Continuing to have older guys on the back end really bodes well for the developmental intention of this league so extending a guy that already knows the system and performed for your team makes a lot of sense.

Ottenbreit is very much a family man and does the right thing on and off the ice. If the Wranglers end up having to part ways with some of their veterans, he’d still provide that mentorship as a role model for the younger players. Turner Ottenbreit has bounced around the AHL a bit so if he doesn’t land with the Wranglers next season, surely there’s another team that will put his skills to good use.

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FN Report Cards: Blake Coleman was a standout in a challenging Flames season

Flash Stevens — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 16:00:59 GMT

The 2025-26 season was an offensively challenging one for the entire Calgary Flames group as a whole. One player who consistently rose to the occasion and brought his A-plus effort nightly was long-time Flame and veteran winger, Blake Coleman.

What were the expectations for Blake Coleman in 2025-26?

As discussed in previous articles the Flames clearly started the season with playoff aspirations. Coleman was coming off a 15 goal, 39 point season having played every single game. For his age and role I would say maintaining that point production and keeping the goals above 15 would have been what we should have anticipated.

An unwritten expectation is Coleman, the two time Stanley Cup Champion, provides leadership to younger players and shows them what a daily professional work ethic looks like to instill younger habits in the youthful members of the squad.

How did Blake Coleman perform in 2025-26?

It was a prototypical Blake Coleman season. He scored key goals – especially when the rest of the team couldn’t buy any – and produced at his normal rate. He hit 20 goals scored for the fourth time in his career and kept that roughly half a point per-game production up.

After 5 years in Calgary you know what to expect from Blake Coleman every night: There’s no lulls, there’s no need to force extrinsic motivation – Coleman has all the tools and the mindset to be a consummate professional every year, every game, every shift. You do not need to worry about what he is going to bring, nor do you need to force reflection on mistakes.

He’s as well put-together a player as you can find in the National Hockey League.

What is the future outlook for Blake Coleman?

This is the hard part about Coleman: he’s been everything you could have ever asked for when signing him in 2021, but the team is going in a different direction that Coleman’s age and role don’t really mesh with.

Sure, you could keep him around as a veteran pro, but with captain Mikael Backlund and Jonathan Huberdeau in here, as well as younger pros on longer deals (Joel Farabee, for instance) that role isn’t a desperate need.

I love Coleman, and he’ll go down in the same breath as other respected Flames with an extended tenure, but with where things are at he could be moved on any given day. He’s one of the more attractive trade options for a competitive team that just came short chasing the Stanley Cup (Dallas, Colorado, Montreal, Buffalo, etc.) at this point he’s “the right package” away from playing for a different franchise.

He’ll always be a grade-A professional, and he brought his consistency to the Flames middle six for a fifth straight year in 2025-26, I just do wonder how much longer that tenure is going to last.

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FlamesNation Mailbag: Delving deep into June with questions about the draft and more!

Ryan Pike — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 14:00:27 GMT

We’re less than three weeks away from the National Hockey League’s annual entry draft, friends. The annual draft combine has concluded and so we’re likely to see draft hype continue percolate as the event nears, especially with the Calgary Flames currently holding many, many picks.

With that in mind, let’s delve into the mailbag!

What was the best Cliff Fletcher trade as GM of the flames?

— Sportsaholic 🏒🏈⚾🥊🇨🇦 (@HockeyShauny) June 7, 2026

There are a few trades from the 1980s stand out as big steps towards the Flames winning a Stanley Cup in 1989. The ones that really stand out, to me, are the Flames acquiring Rob Ramage and Rick Wamsley to St. Louis in exchange for Brett Hull and Steve Bozek, and six months later acquiring Doug Gilmour, Mark Hunter, Steve Bozek and Michael Dark from the Blues in exchange for Mike Bullard, Craig Coxe and Tim Corkery. I know the Hull trade is fairly unpopular, but getting Ramage and Wamsley was pretty important in terms of solidifying the team’s depth.

On a somewhat related note, let’s remember former Flame and longtime Buffalo Sabres executive Gerry Meehan, who sadly also passed away this weekend. Meehan played parts of two seasons with the Atlanta Flames – acquired by Fletcher mid-season from Vancouver in 1974-75 and traded to Washington mid-season in 1975-76 for Bill Clement – but his biggest impact was probably felt as the GM in Buffalo in the late ’80s and early ’90s.

Ryan, in your opinion what’s it going to take for the Flames to leave the draft with Carels and Bjorck? Would you be willing to do that? I think getting those two would be a home run!
Keep up the great work!

— Big Daddy (@bigdaddybustard) June 7, 2026

The challenge with drafting at sixth overall is that the Flames will have their choice of some really good players… but they’re players left to them by the teams above them. As such, if they really want Carson Carels, for example, they’re relying on hoping Carels falls to them – they don’t have as much agency in the situation as they might like to have.

Anyway, Carels and Viggo Bjorck both probably go in the top seven or eight picks. But they might only have the trade capital to move up to guarantee themselves one of them: they might have the ammo to move up to four or five from sixth, or to eighth or ninth from 30th or 31st, but probably not both.

What would you give up if the Flames were to trade into the later lottery? (Florida, Winnipeg, etc.)

— Penid Sports Network (@penidsn27) June 7, 2026

If we’re talking about the Flames moving up from Vegas’ first-round pick at 30th or 31st to Florida’s pick (9th) or Winnipeg’s pick (8th), using PuckPedia’s Perri Pick Value Calculator, you would probably need to use up all four of the Flames’ second-round picks to make the pick value close to equal.

Will the Flames’ draft approach address glaring needs or best players available?

— Ed Helinski 🇺🇸🇵🇱 🌴 (@MrEd315) June 7, 2026

Will the flames draft by position or BPA? I’m hoping for Carels and the Ruck twins and I will be ecstatic

— Bourbon Canadian (@Bowhuntingbsfan) June 7, 2026

The Flames have historically been a “make a list, draft the list” team since around 2011. They have refined the criteria that determines where a player lands on their lists, but they’re predominantly a “draft the list” team that only really veers from the list in the later rounds when they look for particular types of value gambles. When you draft solely for positional need, you can miss out on good players.

Can you shed any light on who Flames took to dinner? I know that it’s probably all minutia anyways but part of the fun of following along. I thought I read Verhoeff somewhere.

Any big Flames-related takeaways from the combine that have popped up for you?

— A Lowry (@AustinCLowry) June 7, 2026

Per our pal Pat Steinberg on the Friday edition of Flames Talk on Sportsnet 960 The Fan, the Flames definitely took Carson Carels and Keaton Verhoeff to dinner. But he also noted that the Flames probably took a lot of the top guys to dinner, those were just the ones that he was able to confirm happened.

With all the talk of Malhotra thsi draft, who do you think are the best father-son players?

— Kev (@KevinDang97) June 7, 2026

Bobby and Brett Hull are, to me, the top father-son duo in NHL history.

Why are some people not happy to take the player that falls to #6, and insist on dreaming up ways to trade up?
Asking for a friend.
For me, I'm curious about what the @NHLFlames forward lines will look like in October. Your guess is as good as mine.

— Dean C. (@DeanCAuthor) June 7, 2026

I noted it earlier on a prior answer: I think it’s just that the Flames would be getting whoever falls to them at sixth spot, rather than getting their ideal pick with a higher placement in the draft order.

As I understand it, teams don’t numerically list players from 1-210 in the draft but they do group them in categories. How many different groupings do you think there are in the first round?

— Eudaimonic (@JCanadiann) June 8, 2026

In general, teams usually have a draft list of between 75 and 100 players they want, depending on the team and the draft year. They don’t usually rank all 300-plus players scouted by the NHL’s Central Scouting Service.

To me, I see Gavin McKenna and Ivar Stenberg on their own ledge, then a group of six (Reid, Malhotra, Verhoeff, Carels, Bjorck and Smits) on their own ledge, then a drop-off to Daxon Rudolph and Tynan Lawrence on their own ledge, and then a bit of a taper off from there. So I would say there’s about six or seven levels of talent in the first round mix, more or less.

Conroy was quoted as saying the Flames wouldn't be using all of their picks. Could you see them taking flyers on young players that may find themselves in the "buy low" category? Care to hazard a guess as to who some of those players may be?

— Alberta Moose Knuckle (@AlbertaMatt) June 8, 2026

Aside from chasing a potential top young centre, I think Craig Conroy would be more likely to use his picks to move up in the draft than to add more buy-low players to the roster. The team has so many bodies fighting for NHL minutes as it is, especially among the forward ranks.

What do you think of the NHL going back to 1-8 Playoff bracket, and would postively or negatively effect the Flames, hypothetical of course, just your thoughts and future of the Pacific ol Northwest Division.

— SunnysideAlts (@SunnysideAlts) June 7, 2026

Honestly, I don’t hate the current playoff format. When I was growing up the first two rounds were exclusively in-division with no wild card and I thought it made for tremendous animosity within the Smythe Division. I’d give the current format a little longer to build up some juice before I changed it up again. (And whether or not a pure 1-to-8 conference format would help or hurt the Flames would depend on whether the Flames’ division was weak tea or not in any given year, and that factor can change a lot.)

Stromgren, what is his future?

— Keith (@kman1967) June 8, 2026

William Stromgren is a pending restricted free agent. He seems like a lock to get a qualifying offer and get a short-term deal with the Flames. At worst, he’ll be relied upon as a veteran presence for the Wranglers, but there might still be some NHL upside in his game.

Got a question for a future mailbag? Contact Ryan on Twitter/BlueSky at @RyanNPike or e-mail him at Ryan.Pike [at] BetterCollective.com! (Make sure you put Mailbag in the subject line!)

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FN Draft Profiles: Could the Flames unlock Ryan Roobroeck’s potential?

Ryan Pike — Sun, 07 Jun 2026 18:00:57 GMT

It’s often said that hockey teams need to be built up the middle. Aside from goaltenders, centremen are usually valued the highest by general managers and scouts when crafting a hockey club – whether by free agency, trade or the entry draft. On paper, Niagara Ice Dogs centre Ryan Roobroeck seems like the type of player that teams would salivate over.

But Roobroeck’s 2026 NHL Draft stock has seemingly slid since the start of this season, despite the fact that he’s a big-bodied centre who seems like the embodiment of what NHL clubs value. Let’s delve into Roobroeck and examine whether he might be a fit for the Calgary Flames.

What do scouts think of Ryan Roobroeck?

A product of London, Ontario, Roobroeck is a left shot centre listed at 6’4″ and 215 pounds. He was born on Sept. 25, 2007, so he was born just 10 days after the cut-off for last year’s draft, and he’s one of the oldest first-time eligible players for the 2026 draft.

Roobroeck played his minor hockey in his hometown, playing with the London Jr. Knights and (briefly) with the London Nationals. He was selected second overall by Niagara in the 2023 OHL Priority Selection, just a spot behind Matthew Schaefer. Roobroeck joined the Ice Dogs in 2023-24 for his 16-year-old season. Because he’s a late birthday, NHL clubs have three full seasons of OHL games to judge him on. On the other hand, he’s also more physically mature – e.g., bigger and stronger – than the other OHL kids, so his performances may be taken with a grain of salt.

In his recent top 100 draft ranking, our pal Steven Ellis at Daily Faceoff broke down Roobroeck’s season:

Roobroeck’s combination of size (6-foot-4, 216 pounds) and goal-scoring prowess (99 goals in 176 regular season games over three years) makes him incredibly intriguing. And at one point, he felt like a safe bet to go in the top 10. You don’t find many forwards who can command a play like he can at his absolute best, especially after producing at a high level throughout most of his career. But for a guy his size, he often lacks the intensity required to be a true difference-maker. Few players with Roobroeck’s level of talent fall asleep as frequently on plays, and it’s a shame. At the very least, Roobroeck should be able to excel on the power play, and he’s good as a net-front presence. But scouts are worried about his work ethic on the ice, hence the fall to this spot. Regardless, I think there’s still some significant upside here.

He’s big! He has shown the ability to do great stuff with the puck. But he might need a bit of a push to get to the next level.

How did Ryan Roobroeck perform in 2025-26?

In 2025-26, Roobroeck had 30 goals and 28 assists for 58 points in 49 games. On a per-game basis, his goal and point production actually took a step backwards from the prior season.

League-wide, he was 22nd in goals and tied for 42nd in points. On a per-game basis, he was behind fellow 2026 draft prospects Nikita Klepov and Caleb Malhotra, but just slightly ahead of Adam Nemec, Adam Novotny and Pierce Mbuyi.

Would Ryan Roobroeck be a fit for the Calgary Flames?

We’ll admit it, we’re torn here. On paper, Roobroeck feels like he could be a great compliment to the Flames’ existing crop of young centre prospects. After all, the Flames’ best youngsters up the middle – namely Cole Reschny and Cullen Potter – aren’t big. And Roobroeck? He big. And while his game has arguably plateaued at the OHL level, you can’t deny the sheer potential he has. Considering the Flames have a late first-rounder and four second-rounders, they could probably talk themselves into taking him on the premise that they could help him find his potential.

At this point, after flirting with being a high pick earlier in the season, Roobroeck appears on prominent public rankings in the late first round or early-to-mid second round. For reference, Steven Ellis has him 30th and Jason Bukala has him 45th. The Flames have plenty of picks in that neighbourhood, so if they feel comfortable taking him on as a project, it could be a moderate gamble with a big pay-off.

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FN AHL Report Cards: Rory Kerins beat the odds in season of setbacks

Paige Siewert — Sun, 07 Jun 2026 16:00:19 GMT

Rory Kerins represents one of the heartbeats of the Calgary Wranglers team. His story of working his way through the three levels of pro and finding consistency is motivational and resonates with his teammates of all ages. He’s an easy player to root for after a breakout season and all-star accolade in 2024-25. The anticipation was high for him this season and despite some challenges and re-directions, he found a way to deliver.

What were the expectations for Rory Kerins in 2025-26?

Kerins more than established that he was no longer an option in the ECHL. He had earned the right as an AHLer and was knocking on the door for potential NHL opportunities. In the 2024-25 season, Kerins played in 63 Wranglers games, putting up nearly a point per game with 61 total points broken down by 33 goals and 28 assists. Kerins finished last season at the top of the points and goals category for the team. This performance earned him a five game preview with the Flames where he had four assists in that run.

Going into this season, the intrigue was there to see more NHL time for Rory Kerins. It wasn’t 100% solidified where he’d fall in the depth chart and who the Flames would have down the middle to compete with. That meant he’d probably spend a hefty amount of time in the AHL, but he was expected to make some appearances with the Flames.

How did Rory Kerins perform in 2025-26?

Rory Kerins went into this season with the same confidence and swagger he brought last season and proved his performance was the baseline now and not a fluke by any means. He was consistently the top line centre for the team, skating alongside a mix of Martin Frk, Dryden Hunt and William Stromgren. Those forwards were the highest performers throughout the season and all leaned on each other in a complementary way.

Rory Kerins nets the third Wranglers goal of the night off a set up from Dryden Hunt and Martin Frk. pic.twitter.com/hNurTAbt78

— Paige Siewert (@thathockeygirly) December 12, 2025

Hunt hit a career best year, Frk hit the 30 goal mark as a veteran and Stromgren hit a career high in assists and earned his first NHL look. For Kerins, his goal count went down but his points were pretty on par. He played in 56 games with the Wranglers and put up 22 goals and 35 assists for a total of 57 points. Kerins was on the scoresheet nearly every game with the exception of two stretches of five games that he was held off it. From Dec. 9 to Jan. 2, Kerins tied the team scoring streak record that former Wranglers Jakob Pelletier and Matthew Phillips hold with 11 consecutive games.

Rory Kerins just tied Matthew Phillips and Jakob Pelletier for the longest point streak in team history with this goal. He's up to 11 games now. pic.twitter.com/n6pI5y9v9V

— Paige Siewert (@thathockeygirly) January 3, 2026

Kerins played in fewer games due to a lower body injury in February but worked his tail off and managed to return to the lineup to secure the last Flames call up for four games. This injury was thought to be potentially season ending but Kerins defeated the odds on that one. This stretch out of the lineup especially showed Kerins’ character and commitment to this team. Head Coach Brett Sutter talked about Rory staying very involved in off ice commitments and team meetings. It was like he was still in the lineup. Sutter said back in April:

“He worked really hard to come back. On ice, off ice, being a part of meetings even though he wasn’t going to be in the lineup. He’s a great kid. He’s a really good leader on this team and we missed him. He’s an instant energy in the room and a big impact in every game he’s played.

As soon as he was back in game action, Kerins was instantly a factor. In his first two games back, he had three goals and four assists and was recognized as the AHL player of the week. Rory Kerins was also a part of the leadership group this year as one of the alternate captains and would lead warm-ups for the team. Every single guy in the locker room has nothing but great things to say about Kerins and his leadership.

Rory Kerins rips a bar down shot to put Calgary up 3-2. He's up to two goals and an assist in this game so far pic.twitter.com/rcNLAJHpaR

— Paige Siewert (@thathockeygirly) April 4, 2026

In his last few games with the Flames, he was not as effective as his call up the year prior but still got some touches and limited ice time. It was unfortunate his injury derailed the opportunity to get a longer look at the NHL and test out how his skills can translate.

Kerins echoed the same points as the rest of the leadership about the disappointment over the way the season went for the Wranglers and emphasized how the personalities in the room helped each other get through the lows of the season. Kerins said:

“Obviously not happy with not making the playoffs. I think we had the group to do it. Just didn’t develop like that for this season, I guess. And you know, have some guys injured and claimed off waivers and stuff like that didn’t help. It was a tough year to get through. But luckily, it was fun coming to the rink every day with these guys.”

What’s the future outlook for Rory Kerins?

Rory Kerins signed a one year contract with the Flames going into the season that has now expired. He needed to clear waivers in October and was that close to getting picked up elsewhere. Fortunately for the team, Kerins played another year in Calgary and was noticeably one of their best players for the second season in a row. As far as his personal evaluation goes, there are some things on his mind to help him take that next step over this off-season. Kerins said:

“I think just going into the off-season with the mindset that I’m going to try to make the team next year and just working a lot on speed work and doing things fast with the puck. I think that’s probably the biggest thing for me.”

As it stands now, he’s an RFA that is surely facing a management decision this summer. Kerins is fully baked as an AHL player now and you have to wonder what scenario gives him a fair shot at NHL time to see if he’s indeed ready. His injury prevented a long look in the NHL, so it’s hard to fully evaluate what level best suits him right now. If he is extended, he’d likely be working towards splitting the year between the AHL and NHL to take that next step in his professional development.

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FN Draft Profiles: Czech standout Tobias Trejbal may be the best goalie in this draft

Ryan Pike — Sun, 07 Jun 2026 14:00:47 GMT

Pals, over the past few years, it’s been tougher and tougher to find a strong young Canadian goaltender. But on the flip side, we’ve seen netminders from throughout the world arrive in the National Hockey League via the draft and become impact players. In particular, some of the top young goaltenders in the NHL these days are from Czechia.

One of the most exciting young players available in the 2026 NHL Draft class is Czech-born USHL netminder Tobias Trejbal.

What do the scouts see in Tobias Trejbal?

Trejbal hails from Most, Czechia, and is listed at 6’4″ and 196 pounds. He’s a November 2007 birthday.

Trejbal played his youth and junior hockey in nearby Litvinov with the eponymous HC Litvinov, the same club that produced Flames star Robert Reichel. He was a decent enough performer in under-17 hockey in 2022-23 and 2023-24, but his game really took off in 2024-25 with Litvinov’s under-20 team, posting a .930 save percentage and leading the league in shutouts. He even made his pro debut with Litvinov’s Extraliga team, playing 16 minutes in relief in a 5-2 loss.

Trejbal committed to the University of Massachusetts in March 2025 and was a fifth round selection of the Youngstown Phantoms in the United States Hockey League’s entry draft a couple months later. He migrated to the USHL in the fall and had a superb year with the Phantoms, ranking among the league leaders in basically every goaltending category and being named that circuit’s top goaltender. He also represented Czechia at the Under-18 World Championships.

And we don’t want to get anyone’s hopes up, but his draft year trajectory seems pretty similar to fellow Czech netminders Jakub Dobes (2020) and Michael Hrabal (2023). He’s headed to UMass in the fall.

As part of NHL.com’s Mike Morreale’s great feature on Trejbal, here’s what Central Scouting’s Al Jensen said about the netminder:

He’s got all the tools and the size… He’s got calmness and that positive swagger as well. I watched him in warmups, was impressed by the way he handles the puck on his stick. He held his ground when facing good chances, stayed patient on a few dekes. He challenges and tracks pucks well and has a good feel for the game. This kid is good.

At Daily Faceoff, our pal Steven Ellis included Trejbal in his top 100 list in May:

Trejbal is the near-consensus top goalie in this draft class. His numbers with the Phantoms have been excellent, and being 6-foot-4 doesn’t hurt, either. The stats don’t lie: the busier Trejbal is, the better he plays. His ability to stay calm and composed under pressure is impressive, and he has quick hands and quicker feet. Trejbal’s athleticism has gotten scouts talking, and his big frame makes him an easy project for a team willing to be patient with the UMass commit. I’ve been impressed with just about all of my viewings of his this year and feel confident he’ll be one of the first goalies off the board.

How did Tobias Trejbal perform in 2025-26?

As a USHL rookie, Trejbal played 42 games. He posted a record of 30-9-3 with a 2.12 goals against average, a .916 save percentage and three shutouts.

He was second in wins, first in goals against average, second in save percentage, and one shutout behind the league leader. It’s difficult to imagine a better first year for a goaltender in North America.

Could Tobias Trejbal be a fit for the Calgary Flames?

On one hand, the Flames have Dustin Wolf at the NHL level, and a slew of interesting young goaltenders behind him – Owen Say, Arsenii Sergeev, Yegor Yegorov and Kirill Zarubin. That said, you always need depth, and it seems prudent to grab a netminder in this year’s draft regardless; the Flames have taken netminders every couple of years and it’s probably how they’ve created and maintained depth at the position. If Trejbal is the best player available when they pick, they should probably grab him. Since he’s college-bound, they would have some time to figure out how he fits into things.

Trejbal is generally thought to be the top netminder in this draft class, and he usually appears on the public draft rankings somewhere early in the second round. The Flames have four second-rounders in this draft, and so it probably wouldn’t be terribly surprising if they grabbed a netminder sometime in the second or third round. (They selected Zarubin in the third round in 2024, in a draft where they similarly had oodles of early picks and could use one on a goalie early.) All goalie draft picks are rolls of the dice, so it might make sense to gamble on the guy considered to have the most potential.

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FN Draft Profiles: Offensive blueliner Tommy Bleyl burst onto the QMJHL scene in 2025-26

Ryan Pike — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 18:00:28 GMT

Folks, every year there’s a handful of top prospects heading into the season that scouts are agog over. And every year, inevitably there’s a few players that the hockey establishment hadn’t really heard of that burst onto the scene and really draw notice over the season with some superb performances.

A year ago, right-shot defenceman Tommy Bleyl had just dripped his toe into the United States Hockey League. Now, after a really impressive season in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League, Bleyl might be a first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. Could he bit a fit for the Flames?

What do scouts think of Tommy Bleyl?

A product of Schenectady, New York, Bleyl is a right shot blueliner listed at 6’0″ and 165 pounds. He’s a December 2007 birthday, so he’s on the older side of things as far as first-time draft eligible prospects go.

Bleyl plied his trade in various spots in prep league hockey in the northeastern United States during his teens, with impressive stints with teams in Massachusetts, New York and Connecticut. He represented the United States at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in 2024 and played a trio of games with the USHL’s Dubuque Fighting Saints late that season.

Already committed to Michigan State University, Bleyl headed to the QMJHL in 2025-26, joining the Moncton Wildcats. It turned out pretty well, as he emerged as one of the top offensive defencemen in that league in his first full season of elite-level hockey.

Sportsnet and Pro Hockey Group’s Jason Bukala had this rundown of Bleyl’s campaign:

Bleyl exploded on to the scene in Moncton this season and has taken full advantage of the opportunities he has been provided. Bleyl has been deployed in all situations for the Wildcats and averaged nearly 24 minutes of ice time per game. In 82 games between the regular season and playoffs so far, Bleyl has registered 19G-87A. He’s similar to Villeneuve in stature, but he’s a right shot. I have the two transitional defenders side by side in my rankings for a reason. If one of these names goes off the board a team searching for a Lane Hutson type of prospect will have another name in the hat to choose from.

Over at Daily Faceoff, our pal Steven Ellis had this write-up in his recent top 100 rankings:

Bleyl feels like the type of guy the general public loves significantly more than NHL Central Scouting. Personally, there’s a lot to love. He’s a highly skilled two-way defender who came out of nowhere to register 81 points as a QMJHL rookie. He’s exceptionally crafty, skates very well and doesn’t let bigger competition bother him. Bleyl plays a calm, collected game defensively while consistently getting himself into scoring lanes in the other zone. Right now, he needs to get stronger – he gets pushed around too often, especially in front of the net. But his mobility and raw hockey sense are definitely there. I’m interested to see if he can keep the numbers flowing at Michigan State.

How did Tommy Bleyl produce in 2025-26?

Bleyl was a rookie in the QMJHL this season. He had 13 goals and 68 assists for 81 points across 63 games. (He had another 28 points in 22 playoff games.)

He led the QMJHL in assists – by a defenceman, by a rookie and overall. He led all QMJHL defencemen in points. He was named the league’s Defenceman of the Year and Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Could Tommy Bleyl be a fit for the Calgary Flames?

Do the Flames need another right-shot defenceman? Well, if he’s good they do. And the nice thing in terms of Bleyl’s trajectory is that since he’s a bit skinny and needs to fill out, a couple years at college seem like a great move for him. He’s set to return to Moncton for next season, so you’re looking at a talented young blueliner with a long runway, and that gives the Flames time to figure out how the rest of the blueline group looks.

In terms of availability, Bleyl appears pretty consistently in public draft rankings between 25th and 35th overall. He’ll probably be a late first-round pick or an early second-rounder, which feels fairly aligned considering the Flames have Vegas’ first-round pick (30th or 31st overall) and then a pair of early second-rounders. If the Flames want Bleyl, they have the picks to get him.

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Flames Draft 2026: A recent history of the 6th overall pick

Ryley Delaney — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 16:00:50 GMT

For the sixth time in franchise history, the Calgary Flames will pick sixth overall.

Despite finishing with the fourth-fewest points, the Flames dropped down two spots thanks to the Toronto Maple Leafs and San Jose Sharks winning the lottery. To this day, fourth overall is the highest the Flames have ever picked, doing so just once.

Over their history, the Flames track record of picking sixth has been hit or miss. It really comes down to two picks in the late 1990s, with the organization having better luck in the turn of the millennium.

Let’s explore the history of the sixth overall pick.

Cory Stillman, 1992

The first time the Flames picked sixth overall was in 1992, using it to select Cory Stillman. He spent parts of seven season with Flames, potting 109 goals and 235 points in 393 games. Stillman’s best season with the Flames was in 1998-99, when he scored 27 goals and 57 points in 76 games.

But on Mar. 13, 2001, the Flames sent him to the St. Louis Blues for current general manager Craig Conroy. Stillman spent parts of three seasons with the Blues, but was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning during the 2003 off-season. He went on to win back-to-back Stanley Cups, one with the Lightning in 2004, then another with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006.

Overall, he finished his career with 278 goals and 727 points in 1,025 games, with an additional 19 goals and 51 points in 82 playoff games. The forward was never named an All-Star, and the production isn’t quite what you’d expect from a sixth overall pick, but it was a solid career nonetheless.

Daniel Tkaczuk, 1997

That couldn’t be said for the next two sixth overall picks they had. In 1997, they selected Daniel Tkaczuk from the Ontario Hockey League’s Barrie Colts. He played just 19 games in the NHL, scoring four goals and 11 points in 19 games. Sadly, he suffered a major concussion and never really recovered, at least to the player he was pre-concussion.

The highlight of his career came in 2000-01 with American Hockey League’s Saint John Flames, as he helped the team win the Calder Cup. In the regular season, he scored 15 goals and 36 points, but added 10 goals and 19 points in 14 post-season games.

Rico Fata, 1998

The Flames picked sixth overall in the 1998 draft as well, selecting London Knights’ forward Rico Fata. He played 20 games in 1998-99, but was sent down to the OHL after mustering just one assist.

Playing most of his 1999-2000 with the Saint John Flames, he scored 29 goals and 58 points, but appeared in just two NHL games. It was much the same in 2000-01, as he and Tkaczuk won the Calder Cup.

The Flames eventually cut bait with Fata, with the Rangers claiming him. He totalled just 46 games over two seasons with the Original Six team, before being traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins. It was there where he had his career-best season, potting 16 goals and 34 points in 73 games.

That turned out to be an anomaly, as Fata played another 57 games in the NHL, 20 with the Penguins, six with the Atlanta Thrashers, and 31 with the Washington Capitals. He departed overseas and never played in North America again.

Sean Monahan, 2013

Moving to the two active players, Sean Monahan was selected sixth overall in the 2013 draft from the Ottawa 67’s.

The centre was a consistent producer over his first eight seasons, totalling 204 goals and 439 points in 591 games, or 28 goals and 60 points every 82 games. But his numbers took a hit in 2021-22, scoring eight goals and 23 points, all while his teammates were having career-years.

During the 2022 off-season, the Flames attached a 2025 first to get out of Monahan’s salary, sending him to the Montréal Canadiens. Eventually, the Canadians flipped Monahan, acquiring a 2024 first from the Winnipeg Jets.

The Flames first was packaged to land Noah Dobson, while the Habs used the Jets’ 2024 first to move up the order, selecting Michael Hage 21st overall. Nice piece of business for the Canadiens, not so much the Flames, though.

Matthew Tkachuk, 2016

The lone Flame picked sixth overall to be named to an All-Star is Matthew Tkachuk, whom the Flames drafted sixth overall in the 2016 draft.

Tkachuk, a power forward, made an immediate impact for the Flames, scoring 48 and 49 points in his first two seasons. He broke out in 2018-19, scoring 34 goals, but just 23 goals and 61 points in 2019-20. His best season as a Flame was in 2021-22, when he potted 42 goals and 104 points in 82 games.

That marked the end of Tkachuk’s tenure as a Flame, as he and a fourth were sent to the Florida Panthers for MacKenzie Weegar, Jonathan Huberdeau, Cole Schwindt, and the 32nd overall pick (Cullen Potter).

As you likely know, the Panthers went to three consecutive Stanley Cup Finals, winning two of them.

Other notable 6th overall picks

As for the plethora of other sixth overall picks, the spot didn’t produce its first All-Star calibre player until 1976, which was 14 years after the introduction of the amateur draft. Don Murdoch, selected by the New York Rangers, went on to score 121 goals and 237 points over his 320 games.

The following draft saw the first ever Hall of Famer selected at the position. Defenceman Doug Wilson was drafted by the Chicago Black Hawks, going on to score 237 goals and 827 points in 1,024 games, one of 11 players drafted sixth overall to play 1,000 or more games.

From 1976 until 1980, the sixth overall spot produced, at worst, an All-Star. Behn Wilson, drafted in 1978, Craig Hartsburg in 1979, and Paul Coffey in 1980. Coffey also happens to be one of the best defencemen in the history of the game, and the second Hall of Famer the sixth overall pick produced. Coffey’s 1,531 points aren’t just the most for a player picked sixth, but the second-most for a defenceman, period

Jim Benning was neither an All-Star nor a Hall of Famer, but the spot produced its third Hall of Famer when the Buffalo Sabres selected Phil Housley. Housley’s 1,232 points are the second-most by any player selected sixth, and the fourth-most for a defenceman in history.

The 1983 draft saw John MacLean selected by the New Jersey Devils, going on to become an All-Star and finishing second in goals by players selected sixth overall. Ahead of him is 1986 sixth overall pick, Vincent Damphousse, who scored 432 goals. Along with Coffey and Hously, Damphousse is the only other player picked sixth overall who has reached 1,000 or more points.

There was a drought of elite sixth overall picks, but in 1991, the Philadelphia Flyers drafted the most recent Hall of Famer selected sixth, Peter Forsberg. Despite injuries hampering his career, Forsberg finished with 249 goals and 885 points in 708 games. What could’ve been.

Aside from Forsberg, the 1990s only saw two more All-Stars selected sixth overall, Viktor Kozlov (1993) and Ryan Smyth (1994). Only Housley, Coffey, and Damphousse played more games than Smyth.

Scott Hartnell, Mikko Koivu, and Milan Michálek are the other players selected sixth overall who played in an All-Star game, but are now retired. The other three, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Mika Zibanejad, and Tkachuk are the only active sixth overall picks who’ve played in February’s festivities.

Ekman-Larsson is the oldest player selected sixth overall who is still active, while Brett Connolly is the lone player drafted in the 2010s and beyond who has retired. Hampus Lindholm, 2012’s sixth overall selection, has been named to an All-Star team.

There are a couple of sixth overall picks who are now playing overseas, namely Jake Virtanen (2014) and Filip Zadina (2018). The other players selected in the 2010s are Pavel Zacha (2015), Cody Glass (2017), and Moritz Seider (2019).

Moving to the 2020s, there is just one player picked sixth overall who has yet to make his NHL debut, Tij Iginla (2024). Jamie Drysdale (2020) and Simon Edvinsson (2021) have both become NHL regulars, while David Jiříček (2022) has bounced around teams. Dmitriy Simashev (2023) was the final one of the Arizona Coyotes’ final picks, and he made his NHL debut in 2025-26.

The most recent sixth overall pick is Porter Martone, selected by the Philadelphia Flyers. After a big season at Michigan State, the Peterborough native appeared in nine regular season games, scoring four goals and 10 points. In the Flyers’ 10 post-season games, he scored twice and nish with five assists.

Not including players picked in the last five drafts, there are four players picked sixth overall who never played in an NHL game; they all happen to be picked in the 1960s. Including those four players, there are just 10 players selected sixth overall with fewer than 100 games played in the NHL, including Tkaczuk.

Lastly, there were four goals selected sixth overall, Gary Edwards (1968), Michel Larocque, Brian Finley, and Al Montoya. The latter is the lone goalie drafted sixth overall in the 21st century.

Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for FlamesNation, Oilersnation, and Blue Jays Nation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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FN Draft Profiles: Could the Flames select Norwegian winger Niklas Aaram-Olsen?

Ryan Pike — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 14:00:20 GMT

In the long, illustrious history of the Calgary Flames at the NHL Draft, they have selected precisely one player hailing from the Kingdom of Norway. That individual is 2018 sixth-round pick Emilio Pettersen. In the 2026 NHL Draft class, there’s a fairly prominent Norwegian forward who’s impressed enough that the Flames should probably consider using one of their many, many second-round selections on him.

Let’s discuss Niklas Aaram-Olsen and his potential fit for the Flames.

What do scouts think of Niklas Aaram-Olsen?

A product of Oslo, Norway, Aaram-Olsen is a left shot winger listed at 6’1″ and 187 pounds. He’s an April 2008 birthday, so he’s slightly on the younger side of this draft class. His uncle is Mats Rosseli-Olsen, who played pro for years in Sweden and represented Sweden in two Olympic games.

Aaram-Olsen came up through Norwegian minor hockey, primarily in the Valerenga organization in Oslo. However, at some point many high-end Norwegian talents need to leave the proverbial nest to get to the next level, and Aaram-Olsen left Norway as a 15-year-old in 2023-24 to join Orebro HK in Sweden. The 2025-26 campaign was his third full season with Orebro, having played in Sweden’s top under-18 and under-18 leagues – the U18 Nationell and the U20 Nationell – in prior seasons.

In 2025-26, Aaram-Olsen primarily played in the U20 Nationell, but also made his professional debut in the Swedish Hockey League and played a single game in the U18 Nationell. He also represented Norway at the Under-18 World Championships and the Division 1A World Juniors – the tournament under-20 national teams need to win to move up into the “regular” World Juniors. (He appeared in those international tournaments in 2024-25, too.)

Back in December, Dobber Prospects’ Ethan Lindey wrote this assessment of Aaram-Olsen:

Aaram-Olsen demonstrates strong energy and speed, causing his opponents trouble both in their own zone and in transition. He’s a good puck carrier thanks to his shiftiness and explosiveness, though his hands occasionally lag behind. He flashes creativity with the puck but struggles to execute consistently, either hesitating or processing the play more slowly than he skates. Aaram-Olsen can take over shifts with his blend of intensity and skill, but his overall impact is limited by a lack of high-end finishing ability.

Our pal Steven Ellis at Daily Faceoff included Aaram-Olsen in his May top 100 rankings, with this recap of his season:

Aaram-Olsen always shines internationally, typically playing a big role for Norway across all age groups. He’s a pure goal-scorer, and he often can be found dominating his own age group. I love him on the power play, where it feels like he does a good job of cycling the puck and then firing quick one-timers. Against men, though. Aaram-Olsen has left a lot to be desired, and scouts have knocked him for having a lack of high-end tools outside of his shot. If he can play with more pace and learn to dominate play through the middle, he could be a good snag. I like the upside, even if some scouts aren’t as convinced.

How did Niklas Aaram-Olsen produce in 2025-26?

Aaram-Olsen had 20 goals and 20 assists for 40 points across 29 U20 Nationell games. he was tied for 17th in the league in points and tied for sixth in goals. He was fifth in points among under-18 players in that circuit.

He had zero points in 16 SHL games. He was third in under-18 players in SHL games played, though, behind only Viggo Bjorck and Malte Gustafsson.

He also had four goals in five Under-18 World Championship games and 10 points in five Division 1A World Junior games.

Could Niklas Aaram-Olsen be a fit for the Calgary Flames?

The Flames are a team that needs to score more goals, and adding a skilled left shot winger to the fold would be a nice way to help do that. He’s drawn lots of praise for his play within his age group, so it’ll remain to be seen if he can keep developing. But so far, so good, and you can easily imagine the Flames liking a lot of elements of his game.

On most public draft rankings, Aaram-Olsen appears either very, very late in the first round or in the early portion of the second round. The Flames currently own the 30th or 31st overall selection (via Vegas) and four second-round picks, including a pair quite early in that round. So if the Flames want to draft their second Norwegian ever, they likely have the draft capital available to make it happen.

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Flames franchise architect Cliff Fletcher passes away at age 90

Ryan Pike — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 19:46:10 GMT

Way, way back in the early 1970s, the National Hockey League awarded the city of Atlanta, Georgia a franchise, in part to balance out the league’s schedule after they awarded a franchise to Long Island, New York in an effort to keep the upstart World Hockey Association out of the newly-built Nassau Coliseum. Adding a team in Atlanta also got them into a major American media market and kept the WHA out of the then-new Omni Coliseum, as well.

Shortly after taking ownership, Atlanta’s owner, Tom Cousins, hired St. Louis Blues assistant general manager Cliff Fletcher to run the newly-minted Flames as general manager. Fletcher took the helm in January 1972 and with a bare-bones scouting staff working out of a trailer (as the arena was still being built), had to prepare for both an expansion draft and an amateur draft a few months later. From there, the Flames franchise was off and running. And “Trader Cliff,” as he was affectionately nicknamed by his managerial counterparts, spent the better part of two decades with the Flames organization tweaking and tinkering with his roster with an aim towards hockey’s ultimate prize. Even a relocation to Calgary, Alberta in 1980 couldn’t stop his progress. Between 1976 and 1991, the Flames never missed the playoffs – and they only missed the post-season twice in 19 seasons under Fletcher.

On May 25, 1989, Fletcher’s Flames won the franchise’s one and only Stanley Cup.

On Friday afternoon, the Toronto Maple Leafs announced that Fletcher has passed away at the age of 90.

pic.twitter.com/3Bc5X5JGJS

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) June 5, 2026

Fletcher departed the Flames in May 1991, joining the Toronto Maple Leafs as their president and general manager, positions he served in until the end of the 1997-98 campaign. He subsequently as a senior advisor with the Tampa Bay Lightning (1998-2000) and in various executive roles with the Phoenix Coyotes (2000-07), including a brief spell as interim general manager, before returning to the Maple Leafs in 2008. After a brief spell as general manager (2008-10), Fletcher stepped into an advisory role, which he held until his passing. Fletcher got his start in hockey as a scout with the Montreal Canadiens in 1956, so he spent essentially his entire adult life in hockey.

It’s hard to understate how fundamental Fletcher was to the Flames’ success in the 1980s. He used the club’s tenure in Atlanta as a test-bed for ideas on how to make the hockey club better. Many of the things that have become commonplace these days, particularly scouting in Europe and college hockey, were areas where the Flames were early adopters under Fletcher and helped the club become one of the strongest drafting teams in the 1980s. He also recruited hot-shot college coach “Badger” Bob Johnson from the University of Wisconsin to modernize the team in the early 1980s, a move which led to the team’s first Stanley Cup Final appearance in 1986.

Moreover, Fletcher was never satisfied with the team’s successes and kept trying to improve them, often moving players before the bloom had come off the proverbial rose. Case in point: he traded Kent Nilsson to the Minnesota North Stars in 1985 for a pair of draft picks when it became apparent to him that Nilsson’s defensive flaws were holding the team back. The two picks became Stephane Matteau and Joe Nieuwendyk, with the latter being a key piece in the club’s Stanley Cup win.

Fletcher was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder in 2004.

Not every move Fletcher made was a winner, and we could litigate a lot of his moves in retrospect. But there’s one thing that’s for sure: the Flames would not have gotten to where they did in their first two decades without Fletcher’s wisdom, tenacity and vision.

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