Friends, the Calgary Flames are smack-dab in the middle of the Western Conference playoff hunt. Heck, if the regular season ended today, they would be a playoff team!
But since the Flames are a team that’s trying to build itself into a contender, the upcoming 2025 NHL Draft remains a pretty big priority for the organization. The Flames are slated to have two first-round picks this year – the second time in a potential three-year run of drafts with consecutive first-rounders – and we’re starting to get a sense of how the upcoming draft could unfold.
As the league sorts through the aftermath of the trade deadline, over at Daily Faceoff our pal Steven Ellis has provided his best prognostication for how the first 32 picks could unfold in the form of a mock draft!
18th overall – Calgary’s pick
Because the Flames don’t land in the top 10, they transfer their first-round pick to Montreal to complete the Sean Monahan trade from 2022. The Canadiens use that pick to select enigmatic Russian prospect Ivan Ryabkin.
20th overall – New Jersey’s pick
Because New Jersey’s pick doesn’t land in the top 10, they transfer it to Calgary to complete the Jacob Markstrom trade.
With New Jersey’s pick, the Flames select Soo Greyhounds centre Brady Martin.
Flames fans will love Martin. He’s one of the hardest-working players in the OHL, and his numbers have really taken flight after a slow start. Martin is on pace for both 69 points and 69 penalty minutes, so he’s a dual threat as a physical force and a point-producer. He might not be a playdriver in the NHL, but he’ll do the dirty work to make sure your team’s top scorers can finish the job. Martin is one of my favorite players in this draft class, and it’s nice to see he’ll be a 30-goal scorer quite shortly.
Martin is a 6’0″, 175 pound right-shot centre originally from Elmira, Ontario. He has 29 goals and 61 points through 52 games with the Greyhounds this season. He turns 18 on Mar. 16.
29th overall – Florida’s pick
Because Florida’s pick doesn’t land in the top 10, they transfer it to Calgary to complete the Matthew Tkachuk trade.
With Florida’s pick, the Flames select Kamloops Blazers right wing Nathan Behm.
Behm is having a breakout season with the Blazers, helping him rise the draft ranks quite quickly. He has always been a decent goal-scorer at every level, but he has found a way to put more muscle behind his shot while being better defensively, too. His skating is still a work in progress – he’s not particularly quick and can be beaten by mid-range skaters – but his play with the puck has been incredible this year.
Behm is a 6’2″, 198 pound right-shot winger originally from Calgary. He has 29 goals and 62 points through 53 games with Kamloops this season. He turns 18 in April.
You have to admit: these two youngsters feel like potential Flames picks – a right-shot centre and a right-shot winger, hailing from the OHL and WHL, respectively – that could help the team address some gaps within their system.
What do you think of these potential picks? Let us know in the comments, and check out the rest of Ellis’ mock draft over at Daily Faceoff!
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