The Calgary Flames entered the 2026 NHL Draft with nine selections, including five inside the top 55, giving them plenty of opportunities to add impact talent. Rather than chasing boom-or-bust prospects, Calgary focused on players with strong NHL projection while still finding value throughout the draft.

The Flames addressed nearly every position. They landed a potential top-pairing defenceman, added three centres with legitimate NHL upside, took a swing on one of the draft’s more athletic goaltenders, and sprinkled in skilled forwards throughout the middle rounds.

What stands out most is how few questionable picks there were. While Jack Hextall could be seen as a small reach, Calgary consistently drafted players who fit their organizational identity without sacrificing value. Sure, this class may not produce multiple superstars, but you better believe it has the potential to produce several NHL players.

After the first five selections came off the board, Calgary found itself in an ideal position to bolster what is an already budding blueline. And boy, did they take that route.

Carels has long been viewed as one of the safest defencemen in the draft thanks to his elite skating, mobility and ability to impact the game in all three zones. He defends aggressively without getting caught out of position, moves the puck efficiently and projects as a player capable of playing in every situation. It had often been said that had he shot the puck from the right side, he would likely be the top defencemen in the class. For the Flames, the side of the shot mattered not, they have two high-flying right-shot defenders in the system in place.

Finding a potential top-pairing defenceman at sixth overall, who can insulate players like Zayne Perekh and Simon Nemec, is just excellent value for Craig Conroy and the Calgary Flames. He’s often felt like the target for the team at this spot, and sure enough, they stayed right on track.

Jack Hextall was one of Calgary’s more polarizing selections. Most, not all, public rankings had him coming off the board sometime in the second round, but the Flames clearly valued his hockey sense, leadership qualities, and competitiveness enough to ensure they got their player.

He’s the type of centre coaches quickly grow to trust because he plays a mature, detail-oriented game and rarely cheats defensively. The offensive upside remains the biggest question, and that’s what keeps this from receiving a higher grade. If Calgary believes there’s more offence to unlock, however, this selection could age much better than initial reactions suggest.

We give this a high grade and could easily end up being one of Calgary’s best selection of the draft.

Chase Harrington entered the weekend as one of the more complete and underrated two-way centres available. He plays with pace, competes every shift and consistently makes intelligent decisions with and without the puck. You probably won’t find him hitting the highlight package on a nightly basis, but when you check the statline at the end of the night, he should impress. It’s not that the offence isn’t there, either. Although highly considered a checking forward, he possesses enough skill to potentially develop into a legitimate middle-six NHL centre capable of chipping in.

Finding that combination of floor and upside at No. 36, we think, represents outstanding value.

It’s always interesting to see when the goalie run will start with each draft. This year, Calgary decided to be the first to pull the trigger. Goalies are always difficult to evaluate, but Tobias Trejbal offers plenty of reasons for optimism, and widely considered this year’s crown jewel for the position. His size, athleticism and natural reflexes give him one of the higher ceilings among netminders in this class.

Like every young goalie, there are technical details to clean up, but Calgary has shown patience with goalie development over the years. If he reaches his potential, we could see the Flames getting solid value here in the middle of the second round.

Shaikhlislamov was one of the best value picks Calgary made and for that, they get a decent grade for a late second round pick.

He’s a highly skilled winger who loves having the puck on his stick and consistently creates offence through his hands and vision. There are still questions about the consistency of his game away from the puck, but by the late second round, this is exactly the type of upside worth betting on.

If his overall game rounds out, Calgary could have landed another top-six forward late into the second round.

The famous last name will inevitably draw attention, but we, and most of the draft floor, felt that this was a bit of a reach. He was ranked as the 200th North American skater by the NHL’s Central Scouting, and many pundits did not have him on their rankings at all.

He plays a responsible game, competes hard and has improved his game as time passes, but this felt like a pick to be made further down the line.

Barabanov offers more offensive upside than many fourth-round selections. His puck skills and creativity stand out, though he’ll need to continue adding strength and improving his consistency. Calgary clearly saw enough raw talent to believe he can eventually outperform his draft position.

These are worthwhile bets in the middle rounds that teams should be making. They did good.

Katolicky is another player with some intriguing offensive tools. As are most in this range, he’s a clear long-term project. But he flashes enough skill and playmaking ability to warrant a fifth-round selection. At this point in the draft, adding players with NHL-calibre offensive instincts is just good process.

Laylin rounds out Calgary’s class as a developmental swing on the blue line.

He’s a physically mature defender with projectable size and enough skating ability to build around. There’s still considerable development ahead, but finding NHL traits this late in the draft is all teams can really ask for.

Calgary may not have landed the flashiest draft class, but it was one of the most well-rounded.

Carson Carels gives the organization a potential cornerstone on the back end, Chase Harrington may become one of the better picks of the second round, and Alan Shaikhlislamov brings legitimate offensive upside. Reaching for Iginla early drops their overall score ever-so-slightly, but fans should consider this weekend a solid addition of worthy talent.

The Flames addressed every major position, avoided unnecessary reaches and walked away with a prospect pool that is noticeably deeper than it was entering the weekend.