Things are not going well for the Calgary Flames this year. They’ve been dwelling at the very bottom of the league for the vast majority of the young season, and it’s been difficult to conjure up much hope of them having any success in 2025-26.

On a completely unrelated note, let’s check in on some of the many exciting prospects set to become available at the 2026 NHL Draft!

Though it’s still subject to change, the top of the draft board is currently chalked full of Canadian talent. Corey Pronman of The Athletic’s latest draft rankings feature seven Canadians in the top-10, which is always nice to see.

Here are his top 10 in order:

You’ve probably heard of Gavin McKenna, the Yukon-born prodigy, who absolutely dominated junior hockey last season as a member of the Medicine Hat Tigers. He’s been atop the 2026 draft board for several years now and is, at the very least, an above-average first overall pick. This season, he has 13 points in 10 games in the NCAA, playing for the Penn State Nittany Lions alongside Flames prospect Luke Misa.

As is the case in most draft classes, there is a slight drop-off from number one to the rest of the field. That said, the guys that will come off the board immediately after McKenna are still really intriguing. Namely Keaton Verhoeff, who’s your prototypical NHL defenceman at 6’4”, 212 pounds with the ability to do everything you’d want out of a two-way d-man and a wicked shot to boot. Verhoeff made the transition from the CHL to the NCAA this season and has four goals and five points in eight games with the University of North Dakota.

Also possessing great two-way ability is the smooth-skating centreman Tynan Lawrence. He posted 54 points in 56 games last season for the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the USHL, a program that has churned out a number of high-end NHL draft picks in recent years, one being Matvei Gridin, who the Flames selected 28th overall in 2024. Additionally, Lawrence’s August 3rd birthday makes him one of the youngest prospects at the top of the board

Then there’s the incredibly exciting and dynamic Xavier Villeneuve. The Quebec native is an offensively gifted defenceman who has accrued 127 points in 132 games thus far in his QMJHL career. Villeneuve’s lighter frame allows for exceptional speed and edge work, and he’s an excellent playmaker.

Left-winger Ethan Belchetz, another Canadian boy, combines a massive 6’5”, 228-pound frame with tremendous skating and stickhandling ability, making him a rare prospect. The Windsor Spitfires winger has 13 goals in 17 OHL contests so far this season.

The top international skater, Ivar Stenberg, is an offensive dynamo. The Swedish winger checks all the boxes as a play driver; his passing, stickhandling, and shooting are all elite. His stat line of three goals and nine assists in 17 SHL games this season is outstanding against that level of competition, and many believe he is the true number two prospect behind McKenna.

Carson Carels (6’1”, 202 pounds), Daxon Rudolph (6’2”, 206 pounds), and Alberts Smits (6’3”, 205 pounds) are all similar in that they’re sizeable, well-rounded blueliners, the kind of player that is coveted by NHL clubs.

The Latvian-born 6’2”, 207-pound centreman Oliver Suvanto is another defensively sound forward. Suvanto’s large frame and responsible style of play should make him a safe bet to contribute in the NHL sooner rather than later. Suvanto has two goals and two assists in 19 games against older competition in the Finnish Liiga.

Much will change over the course of the long season still ahead, but the crop of talent that currently sits atop the draft board is solid and includes a nice mix of positions and play styles.

The Flames own two first-round selections in this year’s draft, their own and the Vegas Golden Knights’ (unprotected), which they acquired as part of the Noah Hanifin trade in March of 2024.

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