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What do the Flames have to show for their 2013 NHL Draft class?

Photo credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
It’s been a wild few years for the Calgary Flames when it comes to the NHL Draft.
In 2024, for the first time in awhile, they had two first-round picks – and selected Zayne Parekh and Matvei Gridin. In 2025, they had two first-round picks again – and selected Cole Reschny and Cullen Potter. And presently, they’re slated to have two first-round picks in 2026, too.
As we wait to see what the past two draft classes with multiple first-rounders will turn into, let’s look back at the prior instance of multiple firsts, 2013, and see what the Flames have to show for that much draft capital.
The picks
Between picks they were allocated that they kept and picks they acquired in trades, the Flames selected seven players in 2013.
In the first round, sixth overall, they selected Sean Monahan. He played 656 games for the Flames before being traded to Montreal (along with a conditional 2025 first-round pick) in exchange for future considerations to open up cap space. While the ending was a bit ignominious for Monahan, he was one of the most consistent and impressive goal-scorers in club history. That’s pretty solid value.
In the first round, 22nd overall, with the pick they acquired from St. Louis for Jay Bouwmeester, the Flames selected Emile Poirier. Poirier turned into a pretty solid pro, but failed to really get a foothold in the NHL, playing just eight games before leaving as a free agent. Swing and a miss.
In the first round, 28th overall, with the pick they acquired from Pittsburgh for Jarome Iginla, the Flames selected Morgan Klimchuk. Klimchuk also turned into a pretty solid pro, but he played just a single NHL game. He was eventually traded to Toronto for minor-league blueliner Andrew Nielsen, who in turn left as a free agent. Another swing and a miss.
In the third round, 67th overall, the Flames selected blueliner Keegan Kanzig. Despite Kanzig playing zero NHL games, this turned into a fairly interesting pick. Kanzig was packaged with a 2019 sixth-round pick and traded to Carolina in exchange for Eddie Lack, Ryan Murphy and a 2019 seventh-round pick. Lack played four games before being sent to the AHL (and then traded to New Jersey for Dalton Prout, who left as a free agent). Murphy was bought out immediately after the trade. The seventh-rounder in 2019 was used to draft Dustin Wolf, who’s played 71 games so far. The original pick didn’t provide much value, but rolling it into future assets worked out.
In the fifth round, 135th overall, with the pick they acquired from Columbus for Blake Comeau, the Flames selected blueliner Eric Roy. He wasn’t signed.
In the sixth round, 157th overall, the Flames selected forward Tim Harrison. He wasn’t signed.
In the seventh round, 187th overall, the Flames selected Russian blueliner Rushan Rafikov. He wasn’t signed.
The trades
The Flames traded away three of their own 2013 picks, to varying degrees of success.
Their second-round pick (36th overall) went to Montreal, along with Rene Bourque and Patrick Holland, in exchange for Mike Cammalleri, Karri Ramo and a 2012 fifth-round pick. Cammalleri played 135 games, Ramo 111, and the fifth-rounder was used on Ryan Culkin, who played zero games. Second-rounders are often hit and miss, so a couple hundred games isn’t awful here.
Their fourth-round pick (97th overall) went to Florida for Corban Knight. Knight played nine games and was traded back to Florida for Drew Shore, who played 13 games. Not awful value considering how infrequently fourths pan out.
Their fifth-round pick (127th overall) went to Washington, along with minor-leaguer Jordan Henry, in exchange for Dennis Wideman’s rights. The Flames signed Wideman and he played 280 games for the club. Yeah, the Flames had to shell out for a hefty contract, but this was a petty savvy gamble to get Wideman’s rights.
The verdict
For better or worse – mostly better – the 2013 draft will be defined by Sean Monahan. He ruled before all his injuries slowed him down, and he deserves to go down in history as one of the better Flames ever. (Had he stayed healthy, he could’ve been an all-time great.)
All-told, the 2013 class and the related assets acquired around that class combined for 1,288 NHL games. That total will keep creeping up, as the pick the Flames used to select current starting netminder Dustin Wolf was acquired in a trade involving a 2013-drafted player, Keegan Kanzig.
But even without the tenuous Wolf connection, the hundreds of games Monahan played make the 2013 class rock-solid, even if none of the other players drafted – particularly the other two first-rounders – turned into much.
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