“Flames fans will feel the pain from falling outside of the top five, but I do wonder if they take the chance to snag Carels. here. Carels was not only one of the best young defenders in the WHL, but he was one of the best defenders in the entire CHL, period. He’s built like a tank and is an absolute powerhouse with the puck. Carels’ defensive awareness, two-way skill, strong physique, and high-end hockey sense make him truly high-end. I think we’re talking about a No. 2-3 defenseman in the NHL, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s the first or second blueliner taken this year.”

“His all-around skill was on full display this season. Carels has strength built through work on the family farm, can be elusive when he’s skating with the puck and makes smart breakout passes. In addition to his strong season in the WHL, he had one assist and was plus-3 in five games as Canada’s youngest player at World Juniors.”

“The Flames’ top priority is to add an offensive presence after forward Matt Coronato led them with 45 points (18 goals, 27 assists) in 80 games this season. Calgary lacks a forward prospect who can tilt games offensively. Bjorck (5-9, 177) eased any questions concerning his stature with his strong performance as Sweden’s second-line center during its run to the gold medal at the 2026 WJC, when he had nine points (three goals, six assists), averaged 20:23 of ice time and won 54.6 percent of his face-offs in seven games. The right-handed shot is a smart two-way player with strong puck-handling skills, elite passing ability and a relentless approach.”

“I think he is a No. 1 defenceman,” said Button. “He can be the bookend to the right shot of Zayne Parekh. They want a centre, they need some offence up front, there’s other ways they’re going to have to do that, I just think Carson Carels is too good to pass even if you might be looking for other things. He’s that good.”

“With this pick the Flames are getting a worker bee, two-way centre who’s had a roller-coaster season, but has enough of a track record dating back to last year to believe he can blossom. They continue to fill their prospect base with skill at a coveted position.”

“My brain immediately goes to the centers (Lawrence and Björck) and the left-shot D (Carels and Smits) here. But finding a potential minute-eating, good-skating, competitive top-pairing D to complement and insulate the right-shot Zayne Parekh makes the most sense for the Flames. The western Canadian farm boy Carels gives them something their pool — which is filled with smart, offensively inclined D who don’t have his bite — could really use. He feels like a perfect match for them. I do wonder about Verhoeff’s connection to Flames prospect Cole Reschny here as well, too. It’s hard not to.”