Draft picks Brad Treliving opted not to sign

Earlier this week, Calgary Flames general manager Brad Treliving opted to not signed a pair of draft picks. As such, the club parted ways with Milos Roman and Linus Lindstrom. These moves represent the 13th and 14th times that Treliving has opted not to sign a drafted prospect.

Here’s a glance at the other 12 players Treliving decided not to keep in the fold.

A 2012 sixth round pick, Gordon was the first organizational asset that Treliving had to make a call on. While Gordon’s offense had improved with the Swift Current Broncos, the team was cool on other parts of his game. He aged out of junior and opted to go to the University of Calgary, where he’s just now finished off his fifth season. (Go Dinos!)

Another WHL product, Roy was a 2013 fifth round pick. A big-bodied defender, he had puck skills at the WHL level but evidentially there were some concerns with how his overall game could translate. He wasn’t signed and spent the better part of four seasons puttering around in the ECHL – he won the Kelly Cup with the Allen Americans in 2016.

A seventh round pick in 2013, Gilmour was arguably best remembered by Flames fans as part of the powerhouse NCAA Providence College team with Mark Jankowski and Jon Gillies that won the national title in 2015. When he finished school, the Flames had a jam-packed blueline group – they had just drafted Oliver Kylington and Rasmus Andersson – and Gilmour ended up going UFA and signing with the New York Rangers instead. He’s now with the Sabres organization, with 37 NHL games to his credit. (He probably wouldn’t have gotten that chance with the Flames, so good for him.)

A 2012 seventh round pick, Deblouw had a fairly nondescript four years with Michigan State. The Flames didn’t sign him and he played a couple seasons in the ECHL before disappearing from pro hockey.

A 2015 seventh round pick, Bruce was a big skinny kid would could fill out and emerge as an OHL star. It never really happened and the Flames didn’t offer him a deal. He aged out of junior and is now with the University of Toronto.

A big-bodied Belarusian, Falkovsky was drafted in the seventh round in 2016 and played the following season on an AHL deal. After he spent the entire season in the ECHL the Flames opted not to offer him a deal. He signed with the Los Angeles Kings instead and has spent most of his pro career since in the ECHL.

Harrison was drafted by the Flames out of high school in the sixth round in 2013. He spent four years with Colgate and the Flames opted not to sign him. He played a season on an ECHL deal with their affiliate in Adirondack, but has since puttered around the ECHL.

A big lanky defender, Ollas Mattsson was drafted in the sixth round in 2014. He spent three seasons in the SHL, then came over on an American League contract to see if he could earn an NHL deal. He was limited to 14 games in an injury-filled season, but was good enough to earn another AHL deal. Unfortunately, that was where his tenure ended. He’s back in Sweden now.

Selected in the fifth round of the 2017 NHL Draft as an overager, Fischer signed an AHL deal after finishing off his junior eligibility. He played most of that season in the ECHL and didn’t get an NHL deal out of it. He’s bouncing around minor pro now.

A sixth round pick in 2017, Joly had a fantastic hockey name but couldn’t progress in the QMJHL to the point where the Flames would sign him to a deal. He just finished off his overage season in the Q.

A seventh rounder in 2013, Rafikov has become a good contributor for the KHL’s Yaroslavl Lokomotiv club. Since there’s no transfer agreement between the NHL and Russia, the Flames retain his rights forever. Or until a new agreement is signed. At this point Rafikov seems like a KHL lifer, having never come over for any Flames camps.

Selected in the fifth round in 2015, Karnaukhov at least knows where Calgary is – he spent two seasons with the Hitmen. He headed back to Russia after an injury-plagued post-draft season. He’s currently with CSKA Moscow (the Red Army) and won a Gagarin Cup in 2018-19. He might eventually come over, and the Flames have his rights in case he’s lured back.