The Calgary Flames are scheduled to take the stage a total of nine times at the 2024 NHL Draft, offering a boatload of opportunities to bolster the organization’s prospect pool. The easy part is getting the draft picks, the hard part is making them count.
Earlier in the offseason, I took a look at the history of the Flames’ two first-round draft slots at ninth overall and at 28th overall. Now I’ll take it a step further and look at how often NHL players are selected in the Flames’ remaining seven draft slots. As a refresher, the Flames will be picking twice in the second, third, and fourth rounds, and once in the sixth round.
41st overall
The Flames have selected at 41st overall on three separate occasions in 1990 (Etienne Belzile), 1991 (Francois Groleau), and 2001 (Andrei Taratukhin). Between the three players selected, they played zero games in Calgary and eight NHL games combined.
For every pick made at every draft slot, I’ll include a table that shows their success metrics of first, whether they played in any NHL games at all; second, whether they hit 200 NHL games; and third, whether they scored 200 NHL points. Here are the overall outcomes for every pick made at 41st overall.
| METRIC | 41ST OVERALL PICKS (2000 – 2020) | SUCCESS RATE |
|---|---|---|
| Played NHL Games | 14 of 21 | 67% |
| >200 NHL GP | 6 of 21 | 29% |
| >200 NHL Points | 0 of 20* | 0% |
Notable selections since 2000
2010, Patrik Nemeth – Despite slotting in at the top of the second round, the 41st overall pick hasn’t generated many noteworthy players, and absolutely no stars since 2000. The last player of note would be Patrik Nemeth, selected in 2010. Nemeth had a long career as a depth defender totaling 504 games played, as well as 33 playoff games before leaving the NHL in 2023.
2005, Ondrej Pavelec – After being taken 41st overall, Ondrej Pavelec carved out a decent NHL career between the pipes. He’d end his career in 2018 with 398 games played and a .907 save percentage along with a 2.88 GAA. At his height, he started 67 games for the Winnipeg Jets in 2011–12.
2004, Bryan Bickell – In 2004 the Chicago Blackhawks selected Bryan Bickell. Bickell would go on to play 395 NHL games, posting 136 points. However, his biggest impact came in the playoffs where he posted 39 points in 75 games, winning three Stanley Cups in Chicago.
62nd overall
The Flames have selected at 62nd overall two times in franchise history, in 1990 (Glen Mears) and 1998 (Paul Manning). Neither player ended up playing for the Flames and they combined for eight NHL games overall.
| METRIC | 62ND OVERALL PICKS (2000 – 2020) | SUCCESS RATE |
|---|---|---|
| Played NHL Games | 11 of 21 | 52% |
| >200 NHL GP | 5 of 21 | 24% |
| >200 NHL Points | 3 of 16* | 19% |
Notable selections since 2000
2005, Kris Letang – 2005 is when you’ll find the last notable player selected 62d overall. Since being picked, Letang has been one of the NHL’s premier offensive defenceman, totalling 691 points in 1,005 games while also winning two Stanley Cups in Pittsburgh. He’s also finished top 10 in Norris voting eight times. 62nd overall picks don’t get better than this.
2003, David Backes – Just two years before Letang, the Blues selected David Backes 62nd overall. Backes would become an integral part of the Blues lineup for nearly a decade, eventually being named captain for five seasons. He totalled 561 points across 965 NHL games, also finishing top five in Selke voting four seasons in a row at his peak.
2000, Paul Martin – The early 2000s were a goldmine at 62nd overall. After being drafted, Paul Martin would go on to play 870 games in the NHL, adding on 320 points. He’d also total 122 playoff games across his career which is the 67th highest total in NHL history by a defenceman.
74th overall
The Flames have picked 74th overall twice, in 2005 (Dan Ryder) and 2009 (Ryan Howse). Neither player played in the NHL.
| METRIC | 74th OVERALL PICKS (2000 – 2020) | SUCCESS RATE |
|---|---|---|
| Played NHL Games | 7 of 21 | 33% |
| >200 NHL GP | 3 of 21 | 14% |
| >200 NHL Points | 1 of 19* | 5% |
Notable selections since 2000
2012, Esa Lindell – There’s no true star power to speak of at 74th overall, however, Esa Lindell has turned into a successful and full-time NHL player since being picked in the slot. He’s tallied 604 games and 191 points, along with 85 playoff games as a core piece of the Stars defence over the past eight years.
2003, Clarke MacArthur – The only other player of note since the turn of the century is Clarke MacArthur, selected in 2003. He’d establish himself as a solid middle-six winger in the NHL for a few years before retiring due to injury in 2017 with 304 points in 552 games.
84th overall
The Flames have picked 84th twice, in 1988 (Gary Socha) and 1989 (Ryan O’Leary). Neither player played in the NHL.
| METRIC | 84th OVERALL PICKS (2000 – 2020) | SUCCESS RATE |
|---|---|---|
| Played NHL Games | 6 of 21 | 29% |
| >200 NHL GP | 3 of 21 | 14% |
| >200 NHL Points | 0 of 15* | 0% |
Notable selections since 2000
2008, Nicolas Deslauriers – The pickings were incredibly slim here, with Nicolas Deslauriers being the most notable recent name picked at 84th. Deslauriers has been an enforcer and depth piece his entire career, but 646 games is still good value for a fourth-round pick.
2004, Alexei Emelin – Alexei Emelin would be the only other name of note. Selected in 2004, Emelin’s time in the NHL was short but for a period of seven years he was a full-time NHL defender and racked up 456 games in the NHL, along with 39 playoff games.
106th overall
The Flames have picked 106th overall once in their history, back in 1999 (Roman Rozakov). The player never played in the NHL.
| METRIC | 106th OVERALL PICKS (2000 – 2020) | SUCCESS RATE |
|---|---|---|
| Played NHL Games | 9 of 21 | 43% |
| >200 NHL GP | 6 of 21 | 29% |
| >200 NHL Points | 2 of 17* | 12% |
Notable selections since 2000
2009, Sami Vatanen – Sami Vatanen is the most notable recent name. Selected in 2009, Vatanen had a solid career and spent a couple of years as a true top-four defender in the NHL. He left the league in 2021 with 200 points in 473 games, along with 26 points in 50 playoff games.
2003, Jan Hejda – At this point in the draft, just getting NHL players counts as a win. Jan Hejda is a perfect example. Never a top-of-the-lineup player, Hejda carved out a solid NHL career after being picked 106th in 2003. He’d play 627 games in the NHL and was a full-time NHLer for nearly a decade.
2001, Christian Ehrhoff – Arguably the best 106th pick in NHL history, Christian Ehrhoff had a great career for a fourth-round pick. He’d end up posting 339 points in 789 games, adding 34 points in 73 playoff games. At his peak, he was a top pairing defender and finished top 10 in Norris voting two years in a row between 2010 and 2011.
107th overall
The Flames have selected 107th overall twice, in 1991 (Jerome Butler) and 1994 (Nils Ekman). Neither player ever played in Calgary, although their 1994 pick Nils Ekman did play 264 games in the NHL.
| METRIC | 107th OVERALL PICKS (2000 – 2020) | SUCCESS RATE |
|---|---|---|
| Played NHL Games | 8 of 21 | 38% |
| >200 NHL GP | 1 of 21 | 5% |
| >200 NHL Points | 0 of 18* | 0% |
Notable selections since 2000
2005, Tom Pyatt – Tom Pyatt is the only player selected 107th overall since 2000 who has gone on to have a lengthy NHL career. As a bottom-six forward, Pyatt would total 445 NHL games and 101 points, adding on 40 playoff games across eight seasons. Not terrible value for a fourth-round pick, but not a great sign of the value available at this time in the draft.
170th overall
The Flames have selected 170th once, in 1999 (Matt Underhill). The player never played in Calgary and managed just a single NHL game in his career.
| METRIC | 170th OVERALL PICKS (2000 – 2020) | SUCCESS RATE |
|---|---|---|
| Played NHL Games | 5 of 21 | 24% |
| >200 NHL GP | 0 of 21 | 0% |
| >200 NHL Points | 0 of 20* | 0% |
There are no noteworthy players since 2000 selected at 170th overall, which isn’t surprising considering the sixth round is a complete lottery. In fact, no player in NHL history selected 170th overall has ever played more than 450 games, and only two have managed over 100 games.
The Flames changing their fate
By draft slot, the Flames’ history with these picks has been downright putrid. Hopefully they can change things around and find NHLers in these positions.
