FlamesNation has no direct affiliation to the Calgary Flames, Calgary Sports and Entertainment, NHL, or NHLPA
The Athletic’s full mock draft sees Flames take Viggo Björck and Liam Ruck in the first round
alt
Photo credit: Nick Wosika-Imagn Images
Dylan Nazareth
Jun 20, 2026, 12:00 EDTUpdated: Jun 19, 2026, 14:44 EDT
We are officially less than a week away from the 2026 NHL Draft. Getting sick of the mock drafts yet?
While most NHL experts so far have focused solely on the first round, The Athletic’s Corey Pronman went all the way on Thursday, mock drafting all 224 picks. Pronman only offered explanations for the first round of picks, but made the full set of selections. This includes all 11 of the Calgary Flames‘ picks in this year’s draft, stacked in the early rounds with two in the first, four in the second, and two in the third.
Leading things off for Calgary, Pronman has the Flames taking Viggo Björck at sixth overall:
“Calgary steps up here to take the undersized Björck and secure the future of its center position, which is in desperate need of an upgrade.”
There’s been much debate over the past month on who Calgary should select at sixth overall, but it seems like Björck is starting to gain some traction as a real top contender. Last season with the Swedish Hockey League’s Djurgårdens IF, he registered six goals and nine assists. The 5-foot-9 forward also tallied three goals and six assists in his IIHF World Juniors debut earlier this year, en route to a gold medal finish.
Later in the first round, Pronman has Calgary targeting Medicine Hat Tigers forward Liam Ruck:
“Calgary has a lot of picks, and not only does Liam Ruck fit in this slot, but the Flames have second-round picks to select Markus Ruck while addressing other needs high in the draft.”
Ruck had an explosive year in the WHL, tallying 45 goals and 59 assists in 68 games, well exceeding his 41 point total from the year prior. His twin brother, Markus, also plays with the Tigers, and put up 21 goals and 87 assists this past year.
In the second round, Pronman has Calgary selecting Björck’s teammate LW Marcus Nordmark (Djurgårdens IF) at 35th overall, G Tobias Trejbal at 36th, C Egor Shilov at 51st, and C Thomas Vandenberg at 55th. Pronman has Markus Ruck going to the Pittsburgh Penguins at 54th, one pick before the Flames. Then, in the third round, Pronman has the Flames going for C Zachary Lansard at 65th overall, then D Vladimir Dravecky at 68th. Calgary’s selections in the mock draft round out with LW Pierce Mbuyi in the fourth round, D Sean Burick in the fifth round, and D Matvei Karasyov in the sixth round.
What do you think of Pronman’s draft choices for the Flames? Let us know in the comments!

This article is a presentation of Prairie Toyota Dealers

It’s time for a truck that can play in every zone. Which means, it’s time to Toyota! Its standard i-FORCE engine delivers more power than ever and a towing capacity of up to 6,400 lbs. It helps you take on challenging landscapes with confidence with its available Panoramic Multi-Terrain View Monitor that provides a live, underfloor view of the terrain your tackling. It even makes loading and unloading gear effortless with its available Power Liftgate. Whether it’s for early morning practice or weekend away games, the Tacoma is a teammate you can rely on. Visit your local Prairie Toyota dealer today.