The fifth round of the NHL Draft feels like when the “mid-draft” period ends and things transition towards “late draft.” Often it’s a round where things start thinning out in terms of high-end talent.

But there’s some value to be found there if teams know where to look. Heck, last year the Calgary Flames drafted someone who ended up being the NCAA’s leading scorer the following year.

With a fifth-round pick at their disposal, let’s dive into the club’s recent history in that portion of the entry draft.

Here are the last five drafts worth of fifth-round selections for the Flames:

In recent fifth rounds, the Flames have oscillated between two approaches: “Hey this guy is big and maybe we can help him develop the rest of his game” (Parker Bell) and “These guys are small and might lack some high-end sample size, but there’s a ton of potential there” (Ethan Wyttenbach, Luke Misa and Cole Jordan). Jordan didn’t end up getting an NHL contract and Bell was an AHL depth player recently, but Misa and especially Wyttenbach have shown a lot of potential.

The hope, if not expectation, is we could see Wyttenbach under an NHL contract in the near future.

1975 fifth-rounder Willi Plett is one of the most underappreciated players in franchise history, in that he was an absolute physical wrecking ball, put up strong offensive numbers in a secondary role, and won the Calder Trophy in 1977.

2010 fifth-round Micheal Ferland was a heart-and-soul player for the Flames in the 2010s, with his 2015 playoff performance as a rookie representing one of the top coming-out parties for any rookie in recent memory.

No fifth-rounder has played games with the Flames since Ferland (2010). Heck, after Ferland, their next eight fifth-round picks – Ryan Culkin (2012), Eric Roy (2013), Pavel Karnaukhov (2015), Mitchell Mattson (2016), Zach Fischer (2017), Josh Nodler (2019), Ryan Francis (2020) and Cole Jordan (2021) didn’t play in the Flames’ entry-level system at all.

So there’s room for improvement is the point we’re making.

The future of hockey is about to be selected — and the Nation Network is bringing you closer to every pick.

From live pre and post Draft Day coverage with The Sheet and Pierre McGuire, to custom player profiles, first round pick reactions from Theleafsnation, and Barn Burner’s live hangout, we’re covering every angle of the biggest night for hockey’s next generation.

Follow along for all the Draft features, analysis, and reactions on YouTube and socials.