The Calgary Flames began their existence way, way back in 1972, initially operating out of a construction trailer until their arena in Atlanta was ready to open.

Since their first amateur draft back in ’72, the Flames have participated in 53 drafts and made 490 selections of young hockey players. But a select few of those draft choices stand out for on-ice excellence, longevity, their value over their draft slot, and their resale value after being selected.

We’ve narrowed things down to 20 players – the top 4.1% of Flames draft choices – that stand above the rest. Over the next little while, we’ll be counting down them, starting with the 20th through 16th-best Flames draftees.

Let’s call a spade a spade here: Makarov was selected as a 25-year-old. By the time he was selected by the Flames, he had already won five World Championships and an Olympic silver medal. He was a crucial part of the Red Army hockey machine in Russia, playing on a heck of a line with Vladimir Krutov and Igor Larionov. The Flames nabbed Makarov’s rights late in the 1983 draft on the off chance he might eventually come over to North America.

By the time Makarov left Russia and joined the Flames, he was already a Hall of Fame caliber player. He played four seasons with the Flames, winning the Calder Trophy and being named to the All-Rookie Team as a 31-year-old in 1989-90 – the league subsequently adjusted rookie eligibility to add an age cap of 26.

The Flames eventually traded Makarov to Hartford for a 1993 fourth-rounder, selecting Jason Smith with that pick.

A Calgary kid, Hunter plied his trade in junior with the WHL’s Seattle Breakers. After being drafted by the Flames, he spent a bit of time with their minor league clubs, then became a full-time NHLer in 1983-84. Hunter ended up playing 11 seasons with the Flames and was a foundational player for the team’s culture. He was the team’s heart and soul – and occasionally, its fists – and served as alternate captain for several seasons, including on the 1989 Stanley Cup winning team.

Hunter was claimed by Tampa Bay in the 1992 expansion draft. By the time he departed the Flames, he was, by far, the franchise’s all-time leader in fights and penalty minutes.

An Ontario product, Houston played parts of three seasons in the minors before becoming a full-time NHLer in 1976-77. Houston wasn’t an excellent offensive producer, but damn, was he consistent. He put up 20 goals and 40 points like clockwork, hitting that mark in four of his six seasons with the club – injuries reduced his 1980-81 season to 41 games, but he was on pace for his best offensive season that year.

As was Cliff Fletcher’s way, he shipped Houston elsewhere before his value diminished. Houston was part of a big trade before the 1982 NHL Draft, with him and goalie Pat Riggin heading to Washington for George White, Howard Walker, and a slew of draft choices that turned into Mats Kihlstrom, Perry Berezan and Paul Ranheim.

Born in Paraguay but raised in Canada, Plett played his junior hockey in Ontario. After being drafted, he spent time in the Flames’ minor league system before breaking onto the Atlanta Flames’ roster full-time midway through the 1976-77 season. Y’know how Tim Hunter was a foundational culture player for the Calgary team? Plett was that guy for the Atlanta team. He was Hunter before Hunter, and an absolute menace on the ice.

Aside from an offensive slump in 1979-80, Plett put up 20-plus goals, 40-plus points and 200-plus penalty minutes like clockwork. Plett was a crash-and-bang forward that created a ton of offence, and space for his teammates, when he was on the ice. He won the Calder Trophy with the Flames in 1976-77, his old award, but he was pretty integral to the success of the Atlanta club.

In the 1982 off-season, Plett was traded to the Minnesota North Stars for Dave Reierson, Steve Christoff and Bill Nyrop.

From time to time, there have been players the Flames have selected that found their niche and just never left. Peplinski is one of those players. He played a year in junior back in Ontario after being drafted, then became a full-timer with the Flames in 1980-81 and was a foundational piece of the club’s 1980s success.

Peplinski’s offensive peak was a 30-goal, 67-point sophomore year in 1981-82, but he was relied upon to match up against the other team’s best and brightest, and did so for the next decade. He occasionally received Selke Trophy votes for his efforts, and he was an important enough piece of the Flames’ puzzle that he served as a co-captain for five seasons, including on the 1988-89 Stanley Cup team. He retired early in the 1989-90 season, then returned to hockey briefly in 1994-95 before retiring for good.

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