Gang, it’s almost draft season! The 2025 NHL Draft is roughly six weeks away and the Calgary Flames have two selections in the first round. We’re not entirely sure where their second pick – acquired from Florida in the Matthew Tkachuk trade – will land, but we do know that they’ll be selecting at 18th overall with New Jersey’s pick (acquired for Jacob Markstrom).

So, who might the Flames select at 18th overall?

We’ll get into mock drafts at another time, but right now, we’re going to check out some recent draft rankings and see which players the draft experts have ranked at 18th on their various lists.

Hensler just finished his freshman season at the University of Wisconsin. He’s a right shot blueliner listed at 6’2″ and 192 pounds. He was ranked 18th by Scott Wheeler of The Athletic, and is the 12th-ranked North American skater by Central Scouting.

Here’s a snippet what Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff had to say about Hensler in his recent rankings: “He’s a 6-foot-2, mobile blueliner who has good reach and can rough guys up, and he’s solid in his own zone. You won’t confuse him for a puck-rushing offensive defenseman, though. I think there’s a good chance he becomes a second-pairing defenseman who plays a safe defensive game, but I’d like to see him take more chances with the puck.”

The big “fit” question would be if the Flames would need Hensler more than a centre of similar skill level, and the path to success for Hensler within the Flames organization with all the right shot defenders in their system.

Kindel just finished a superb second season with the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen. He’s a right shot forward that plays centre and the wing and is listed at 5’10” and 176 pounds. He was ranked 18th by McKeen’s, and is the 21st-ranked North American skater by Central Scouting.

Ellis: “Kindel has been one of the WHL’s hottest prospects this season, and he’s quickly becoming one of the most popular names in the public scouting sphere. He’s equally good as a shooter and a playmaker and is the driving force of Calgary’s attack. Kindel does a great job of finding open space and exploiting it and he has a shot he can unleash from just about anywhere. Below-average skating and a lack of a physical edge knock him down a few pegs, but many teams should consider him for his pure puck skills and solid all-around improvement.”

Maybe it’s because we watch a lot of Hitmen games, but aside from minor size qualms, Kindel is a really nice fit for what the Flames need.

Martin had a strong sophomore season with the OHL’s Soo Greyhounds. He’s a right shot centre listed at 6’0″ and 178 pounds. He was ranked 18th by both Elite Prospects and FC Hockey, and is the 11th-ranked North American skater by Central Scouting.

Ellis: “When evaluating Martin, you must watch his play away from the puck to truly appreciate him, because his game transcends the scoresheet. His second half allowed him to finish with more than 70 points, making him the Greyhounds’ most important forward. But, again, it’s what he does when he’s trying to get the puck back that really shines. He hits everyone in sight, constantly battles hard for the puck and is a noted goal-scorer, too. He doesn’t always have top-level players to play with on the Greyhounds, but he does look like one of the best players to come out of the OHL this year because he does so much all over the ice and never gives up on a play.”

Martin is another really nice potential fit for the Flames as a right shot centre.

The son of former Flames forward Marcus Nilson, Eric Nilson just finished his second full season in Sweden’s top under-20 league, and his first with Djurgardens IF. He’s a right shot centre listed at 6’0″ and 156 pounds. He was ranked 18th by The Hockey News’ Tony Ferrari, and he’s the seventh-ranked international skater by Central Scouting.

Ellis was a bit cooler on Nilson than Ferrari: “Nilson has hung around the 30-35 range for most of the year for me. I don’t think he has high-end skill and he’s definitely not a play-driver. But he’s a great passer who can also wire home shots, too. He’s been productive in the Swedish U-20 league and has some pro experience with Djurgardens’ Allsvenskan team. I can see Nilson becoming an effective bottom-six forward because he’s so committed to winning every battle while still maintaining his position in his own zone.”

That’s right, there’s a son of another 2004 alum available in this year’s draft. Another right shot centre, Nilson could be potentially someone the Flames could look at with their later first-rounder, too.

A second-year member of the WHL’s Prince George Cougars, Ravensbergen is a right-catching goaltender listed at 6’5″ and 190 pounds. He was ranked 18th by The Athletic’s Corey Pronman, and is the top-ranked North American goaltender by Central Scouting.

Ellis: “Most scouts believe Ravensbergen is first-round bound. And there’s no shortage of teams that should use a pick on the highly touted goalie prospect. At 6-foot-5, he has incredible size, great athleticism, and a calm demeanour. Package that together, and he’s an intriguing prospect. His numbers aren’t fantastic by any means, but he snagged wins consistently on a team that would be in a lot more trouble if he didn’t have their back. Look for Ravensbergen to become an NHL starter one day.”

As much as we think Ravensbergen is a damn fine goaltender, an organization with Dustin Wolf and Arsenii Sergeev probably won’t prioritize a goaltender early in this year’s draft.

Reid’s a second year member of the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers. He’s a left shot blueliner listed at 6’0″ and 193 pounds. He was 18th on Jason Bukala’s March rankings at Sportsnet and is the 23rd-ranked North American skater by Central Scouting.

Ellis: “Reid closed out the regular season by playing some of his best hockey. He’s started to put up points consistently, and he’s shooting in more dangerous areas, too. Reid isn’t big, but he can shut guys down. Reid can do a little bit of everything – his three-zone game is so good, and he’s got the intelligence to beat so many players in 1-on-1 situations. Some scouts think he’ll go higher here – I see a good value pickup if taken after, say, No. 12.”

We have the same thought on Reid that we did on Hensler, even though Reid’s a lefty: there are just so many blueliners in the Flames system and we think they may veer more towards centres (or wingers that can play centre) unless there’s a big gap between the blueliner and the next-best available centre.

Schmidt just finished his second season with the WHL’s Vancouver Giants. He’s a right shot winger listed at 5’7″ and 161 pounds. Ellis had him 18th at Daily Faceoff and he’s the 43rd-ranked North American skater by Central Scouting.

Ellis: “Schmidt might be small at 5-foot-8, but he makes up for it in pure skill. He started the season as one of the league’s most productive forwards. His numbers started to quiet down as the season wore on, but he still showed his incredible puck skills and play reads every single night. Schmidt is a pure offensive forward with great speed and likes being in front of the net. On the power play, he’s absolutely lethal. The question is, can he translate his game?”

The translation question of Schmidt’s game is the reason he feels like a bit of a gamble at 18th overall. (Do you feel more comfortable rolling the dice on him if it’s with Florida’s pick, though?)

A second-year member of the QMJHL’s Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, Zonnon is a left shot forward that’s primarily a winger (but he’s played a bit of centre here and there). He’s listed at 6’2″ and 187 pounds. Both TSN’s Craig Button and Dobber Prospects had Zonnon 18th, and he’s the 31st-ranked North American skater by Central Scouting.

Ellis: “I like Zonnon. He’s very energetic, a tremendous playmaker and is looking more comfortable as a shooter, too. He’s physical, smart and is an excellent passer who can do some dangerous things with the puck. When he has the puck, he makes things happen in open space. Without it, he creates space for his teammates and he gets himself to the net. It feels like Zonnon has been underappreciated and that he deserves more attention for his work ethic and tremendous vision. He’s the type of player you can stick with other high-end talents and find success. I can see him going 10 spots higher in this draft if a team thinks they can mold him into something they need.”

Zonnon has size and skill, but the big knock on him regarding the fit with the Flames is he hasn’t played a ton of centre.