When National Hockey League teams make draft choices, they do so with a lot of optimism. But since teams have a finite number of contracts and roster spots, they can’t sign everybody, and sometimes draftees don’t end up signing with the clubs that drafted them.

Over at PuckPedia, they’ve listed of 39 drafted players whose NHL rights will lapse on June 1. 21 of those players aren’t under contract anywhere for next season yet.

Presuming they make it through the draft unclaimed, there are six players we think the Flames should take a look at adding as organizational depth – either on entry-level deals or AHL contracts for the Wranglers.

Cooper Foster

A sixth-round selection by Pittsburgh in 2023, Foster is a left shot centre listed at 6’0″ and 187 pounds. He just finished his third full season with the OHL’s Ottawa 67’s, where he had 19 points and 34 assists for 53 points this season. He was teammates with Flames prospect Henry Mews for part of the season.

In March 2024, Dobber Prospects’ Tyler Ball had this breakdown of Foster’s game:

Foster, in his draft year, was playing in a middle-six role in the OHL with the Ottawa 67s. This season, he got a bump to the top-six and the top line. This increase in playing time helped show why the Penguins believed in him. He is an undersized center with solid speed and good fluidity in his skating. His vision is likely to be the best quality as a player. On multiple occasions, in live viewings of him this season, Foster found a tight window to fit dangerous passes through. As he gets closer to pro hockey, he must improve his speed, shot, and ability to get to dangerous areas when off the puck. One more year in junior will be a big test to see where his potential NHL future will be.

The good news is that Foster was Ottawa’s most-used centre in 2024-25, playing first line minutes and taking more draws than anyone else on the team. However, he won just 45% of his draws, so he’s got some work to do.

The Flames need more centre depth, so Foster could add that, but he feels like someone that may be spending more time in the ECHL or the AHL in 2025-26. (He’s also eligible to return to the OHL as an overager next season.)

Justin Kipkie

A Calgary kid, Kipkie was a fifth-round pick by Utah in 2023. He’s a left shot blueliner listed at 6’3″ and 207 pounds. He just finished his third full season with the WHL’s Victoria Royals, where he had 12 goals and 50 assists for 62 points. He was a second-team divisional all-star in 2023-24 and a second-team conference all-star in 2024-25.

Dobber Prospects’ Keith Duggan praised Kipkie’s “booming shot from the point” but noted his defensive zone play was “a work in progress” in an April 2025 update on their site. The Flames need to keep adding to their defensive depth across the organization, especially adding players that can put up offence from the back end, which Kipkie could potentially help with. However, his reported uneven play away from the puck would be a concern.

Matthew Mania

An epic hockey name, Mania was a fifth-round pick by Los Angeles in 2023. He’s a right shot defender listed at 6’1″ and 190 pounds. He posted seven goals and 38 assists for 45 points with the OHL’s Flint Firebirds this season, his first with the Firebirds but fourth in the OHL.

During Kings’ development camp last summer, LA Kings Insider touted Mania’s creativity and puck-moving ability. As with Kipkie, the Flames could definitely use added defensive depth, but they’d need to weigh Mania’s offensive skills against any possible defensive quirks.

Ethan Miedema

Miedema was a fourth-round pick by Buffalo in 2023. He’s a left shot winger listed at 6’4″ and 212 pounds. He posted 23 goals and 34 assists for 57 points this season with the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs, where he was a teammate of Flames prospect Jacob Battaglia.

In Elite Prospects’ 2023 draft guide, here’s how they assessed Miedema’s game:

Miedema has dual-threat scoring potential. He easily turns passes into blistering wristers, curling pucks around sticks when necessary. A clever passer, he chooses the right pass for the lane whether that’s slip, hook, saucer, or backhand. He spots his options early and guides teammates into space with his feeds.

Size and goal-scoring ability will provide Miedema with options going forward.

Kalem Parker

A sixth-round pick by Minnesota in 2023, Parker is a right shot defender listed at 6’0″ and 183 pounds. He split this past season with the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors and Calgary Hitmen, and he combined for 10 goals and 30 assists for 40 points over the season. He was teammates with Flames prospect Axel Hurtig with the Hitmen.

A pretty well-rounded WHL defender, Parker’s bounced around a bit over the past few seasons. Originally part of the Victoria Royals, he was traded early in the 2023-24 season to Moose Jaw, as they began to load up for a playoff run – they won the WHL championship that season. Early in this season, he was traded to the Hitmen, as they tried to do the same.

Parker’s biggest knock is that his offensive game hasn’t taken great strides in the Dub, but he’s been in-demand because of his defensive acumen and ability to be an on-ice compliment to high-end offensive blueliners. He could provide that sort of rock-solid play at the AHL level, at the very least.

Alex Pharand

A fourth-rounder by Chicago in 2023, Pharand is a right shot forward (who plays centre and the wing) listed at 6’3″ and 192 pounds. He posted 17 goals and 42 assists for 59 points with the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves, where he was teammates with Flames prospect Henry Mews for part of the season. He was third on the Wolves in face-offs taken and won 49.5% of his draws.

In December, Sudbury head coach Scott Barney said this of Pharand (via Ben Leeson of the Sudbury Star): “He competes every night, he does everything a coach wants him to do and he’s shooting the puck. He’s getting pucks off quick and going to the right areas. He’s very smart in the bumper area on the power play and they have seen a lot of success in the last few weeks because all five guys are working together.”

Pharand’s versatility and size could make him useful depth at the AHL, though his lack of OHL dominance may hurt his chances for a big-league contract right now.

Which of these players do you think could be an option for the Flames organization? Let us know in the comments!

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