The Calgary Flames have a draft-related rooting interest in the Edmonton/Vancouver playoff series

It probably goes without saying that there’s not a ton of love between the Calgary Flames – or their fans – and the Vancouver Canucks or Edmonton Oilers. When the Canucks and Oilers were set to face each other in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, many fans asked themselves if it were possible for neither team to win the series.

But with the Canucks able to eliminate the Oilers on Saturday night, the Flames have a distinct rooting interest that’s related to their many (many) 2024 conditional draft choices.

The conditional pick that’s in flux is related to the Elias Lindholm trade at the end of January. The Flames sent Lindholm to Vancouver in exchange for Andrei Kuzmenko, the rights to prospects Joni Jurmo and Hunter Brzustewicz, Vancouver’s 2024 first-round pick, and a conditional fourth-round pick.

If Vancouver beats Edmonton and advances to the Western Conference Final, the Flames will receive Vancouver’s third-round pick – it’ll be somewhere between 94th and 97th overall. If Edmonton beats Vancouver, the Flames will instead receive New Jersey’s fourth-round pick – 107th overall. (The Canucks acquired New Jersey’s pick when they traded Curtis Lazar to the Devils in 2023, and the Canucks committed to send the Flames the earlier of their two fourth-rounders, their own or New Jersey’s, in the Lindholm trade.)

The Canucks advancing would also impact the placement of the first-round pick they sent the Flames. If the Canucks make the Western Conference Final, the pick they sent Calgary would be somewhere between 29th and 32nd overall. If they don’t make the Western Conference Final, that pick would be 28th overall.

In short: if the Canucks eliminate the Oilers, the Flames get a better conditional pick from the Canucks (moving up by 10 to 13 picks) but the first-round pick they received from the Canucks would slide back by between one and four spots. Suffice it to say, the Flames’ scouting staff are probably cheering for Vancouver. (Begrudgingly.)