The first round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft was held last night in Montreal and it was a doozy. Of course that mainly applies to the activity around the top few picks as well as the multiple trades that happened. For the Calgary Flames, it was mostly quiet.
Aside from some early rumours that came up during the day that were quickly shot down, the Flames did not have a whole lot to do during the opening round. Since their first-round pick was traded away in the Tyler Toffoli deal earlier this year, the Flames are left waiting until pick number 59 in today’s proceedings.
While the likes of Shane Wright, Juraj Slafkovský, and Logan Cooley were far from an available option, the organization is going to pick up a solid prospect late in the second round.
Using the TWC Consolidated 2022 Draft Rankings, let’s take a look and see who could be available for the team and who makes the most sense:
TWC Consolidated 2022 Draft Rankings: Falling first rounders
Of the remaining prospects that were ranked in the top 32 of our consolidated list, just five remain on the board:
| TWC Rank | Player | Mean | POS | Team | League | DOB | Height | Weight | Shoots |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | Jagger Firkus | 26.8 | F | Moose Jaw Warriors | WHL | 29-Apr-04 | 5’10” | 154 | R |
| 28 | Calle Odelius | 30.2 | D | Djurgårdens IF J20 | J20 Nationell | 30-May-04 | 6’0″ | 185 | L |
| 29 | Gleb Trikozov | 30.5 | F | Omskie Yastreby | MHL | 12-Aug-04 | 6’1″ | 185 | R |
| 30 | Seamus Casey | 31.4 | D | U.S. National U18 Team | USDP | 08-Jan-04 | 5’10” | 172 | R |
| 31 | Tristan Luneau | 31.4 | D | Gatineau Olympiques | QMJHL | 12-Jan-04 | 6’2″ | 190 | R |
Now while the odds that any of these five players are available at 59 is extremely low, I do think that Seamus Casey and Tristan Luneau would be the best options for the team. I think while you do opt for the best available player, the right handed defensive prospects can never be overlooked.
It’s a pipedream that both, or even one, of these players would be available but we have seen first-round talent drop further before. We see you Oliver Kylington and we love you.
TWC Consolidated 2022 Draft Rankings: Reasonable second-round options
As we take a look further down our list, the possibilities are endless.
In a perfect world, if the Flames could walk away with one of Luca Del Bel Belluz, Owen Beck, Lane Huston, or Jack Hughes I would think the team would be buying a lottery ticket very quickly.
More realistically, the team could be looking at a Noah Warren, Matthew Poitras, or Jordan Gustafson who will most likely be available candidates at 59.
| TWC Rank | Player | Mean | POS | Team | League | DOB | Height | Weight | Shoots |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33 | Ryan Chesley | 31.7 | D | U.S. National U18 Team | USDP | 27-Feb-04 | 6’0″ | 201 | R |
| 35 | Luca Del Bel Belluz | 32.9 | C | Mississauga Steelheads | OHL | 10-Nov-03 | 6’1″ | 179 | L |
| 36 | Owen Beck | 33.3 | C | Mississauga Steelheads | OHL | 03-Feb-04 | 6’0″ | 190 | R |
| 37 | Lane Hutson | 34.5 | D | U.S. National U18 Team | USDP | 14-Feb-04 | 5’8″ | 159 | L |
| 38 | Mattias Hävelid | 35.2 | D | Linköping HC J20 | J20 Nationell | 01-Jan-04 | 5’10” | 172 | R |
| 39 | Ty Nelson | 35.9 | D | North Bay Battalion | OHL | 30-Mar-04 | 5’10” | 196 | R |
| 40 | Jack Hughes | 37.7 | C | Northeastern Univ. | NCAA | 02-Nov-03 | 6’0″ | 170 | L |
| 41 | David Goyette | 38.4 | C | Sudbury Wolves | OHL | 27-Mar-04 | 5’11” | 174 | L |
| 42 | Alexander Perevalov | 41.1 | LW | Loko Yaroslavl | MHL | 16-Apr-04 | 6’0″ | 192 | R |
| 43 | Elias Salomonsson | 41.2 | D | Skellefteå AIK J20 | J20 Nationell | 31-Aug-04 | 6’1″ | 183 | R |
| 44 | Sam Rinzel | 41.8 | D | Chaska High | USHS-MN | 25-Jun-04 | 6’4″ | 181 | R |
| 45 | Filip Bystedt | 41.9 | C | Linköping HC J20 | J20 Nationell | 04-Feb-04 | 6’4″ | 205 | L |
| 46 | Danny Zhilkin | 45 | C | Guelph Storm | OHL | 19-Dec-03 | 6’1″ | 196 | L |
| 47 | Rieger Lorenz | 47.7 | C | Okotoks Oilers | AJHL | 30-Mar-04 | 6’2″ | 194 | L |
| 48 | Julian Lutz | 49 | F | EHC München | DEL | 29-Feb-04 | 6’2″ | 185 | L |
| 49 | Jani Nyman | 51.8 | LW | Ilves U20 | U20 SM-sarja | 30-Jul-04 | 6’3″ | 216 | L |
| 50 | Adam Ingram | 52.1 | F | Youngstown Phantoms | USHL | 14-Oct-03 | 6’2″ | 174 | L |
| 51 | Matyas Sapovaliv | 52.6 | F | Saginaw Spirit | OHL | 12-Feb-04 | 6’3″ | 183 | L |
| 52 | Simon Forsmark | 52.8 | D | Örebro HK | SHL | 17-Oct-03 | 6’2″ | 194 | L |
| 53 | Noah Warren | 53.2 | D | Gatineau Olympiques | QMJHL | 15-Jul-04 | 6’5″ | 225 | R |
| 55 | Maveric Lamoureux | 53.7 | D | Drummondville Voltigeurs | QMJHL | 13-Jan-04 | 6’7″ | 198 | R |
| 56 | Tomas Hamara | 56.2 | D | Tappara U20 | U20 SM-sarja | 09-Mar-04 | 6’0″ | 185 | L |
| 57 | Mats Lindgren | 58.8 | D | Kamloops Blazers | WHL | 26-Aug-04 | 6’0″ | 176 | L |
| 58 | Bryce McConnell-Barker | 59.3 | C | Soo Greyhounds | OHL | 04-Jun-04 | 6’1″ | 194 | L |
| 59 | Vladimir Grudinin | 59.7 | D | Krasnaya Armiya Moskva | MHL | 09-Dec-03 | 5’10” | 159 | L |
| 60 | Alexander Pelevin | 60 | D | Chaika Nizhny Novgorod | MHL | 16-May-04 | 5’11” | 172 | L |
| 61 | Paul Ludwinski | 62 | C | Kingston Frontenacs | OHL | 23-Apr-04 | 5’11” | 183 | L |
| 62 | Hunter Haight | 62.5 | C | Barrie Colts | OHL | 04-Apr-04 | 5’10” | 174 | R |
| 63 | Ludwig Persson | 63.8 | C/LW | Frölunda HC J20 | J20 Nationell | 08-Oct-03 | 6’0″ | 179 | L |
| 64 | Adam Sýkora | 64.2 | RW/LW | HK Nitra U20 | Slovakia U20 | 07-Sep-04 | 5’10” | 172 | L |
| 65 | Cameron Lund | 65.2 | C | Green Bay Gamblers | USHL | 07-Jun-04 | 6’2″ | 192 | R |
| 66 | Dylan James | 65.5 | LW | Sioux City Musketeers | USHL | 12-Oct-03 | 6’0″ | 176 | L |
| 67 | Matthew Poitras | 66.1 | C | Guelph Storm | OHL | 10-Mar-04 | 5’11” | 176 | R |
| 68 | Devin Kaplan | 66.8 | RW | U.S. National U18 Team | USDP | 10-Jan-04 | 6’3″ | 198 | R |
| 69 | Jordan Gustafson | 67.1 | F | Seattle Thunderbirds | WHL | 20-Jan-04 | 5’11” | 179 | L |
TWC Consolidated 2022 Draft Rankings: Potential reaches
Of course the Flames could also go completely off the board tomorrow and take someone not even in the top 70 players ranked. It wouldn’t be abnormal for the team, who has taken guys they like much earlier in the draft like Jakob Pelletier and Jake Boltmann.
I wonder if they are looking at someone like Christian Kyrou or Cruz Lucius, two OHL players where the team has found success before. Once you get past the 59th spot it’s wide open.
This also could be a perfect situation where the Flames trade down a few draft slots to obtain an additional selection. Brad Treliving has done that before and executed it perfectly.
That is the best part about the NHL Draft, anything can happen.
| Rank | Player | MEAN | POS | Team | League | DOB | Height | Weight | Shoots |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70 | Kasper Kulonummi | 67.5 | D | Jokerit U20 | U20 SM-sarja | 01-Mar-04 | 6’0″ | 174 | R |
| 71 | Michael Fisher | 68 | D | St. Mark’s School | USHS-Prep | 02-May-04 | 6’2″ | 198 | R |
| 72 | Christian Kyrou | 68.7 | D | Erie Otters | OHL | 16-Sep-03 | 5’10” | 172 | R |
| 73 | Aleksanteri Kaskimäki | 70.7 | C | HIFK U20 | U20 SM-sarja | 06-Feb-04 | 6’0″ | 196 | L |
| 74 | Artyom Duda | 71 | D | Krasnaya Armiya Moskva | MHL | 08-Apr-04 | 6’1″ | 181 | L |
| 75 | Beau Jelsma | 72 | LW | Barrie Colts | OHL | 28-Apr-04 | 5’10” | 174 | L |
| 76 | Isaiah George | 73.3 | D | London Knights | OHL | 15-Feb-04 | 6’1″ | 194 | L |
| 77 | Topi Rönni | 74 | C | Tappara U20 | U20 SM-sarja | 05-May-04 | 6’1″ | 181 | L |
| 78 | Cruz Lucius | 74.2 | RW | U.S. National U18 Team | USDP | 05-Apr-04 | 6’0″ | 183 | R |
| 79 | Tyler Brennan | 75.4 | G | Prince George Cougars | WHL | 27-Sep-03 | 6’4″ | 190 | L |
| 80 | Topias Leinonen | 75.4 | G | JYP U20 | U20 SM-sarja | 25-Jan-04 | 6’5″ | 234 | L |
| 81 | Vinzenz Rohrer | 75.6 | RW | Ottawa 67’s | OHL | 09-Sep-04 | 5’11” | 168 | R |
| 82 | Fraser Minten | 75.7 | F | Kamloops Blazers | WHL | 05-Jul-04 | 6’1″ | 185 | L |
| 83 | Ryan Greene | 76.3 | C | Green Bay Gamblers | USHL | 21-Oct-03 | 6’2″ | 179 | R |
| 84 | Viktor Neuchev | 77 | F | Avto Yekaterinburg | MHL | 25-Oct-03 | 6’2″ | 165 | L |
| 85 | Arseni Koromyslov | 77.7 | D | SKA-1946 St. Petersburg | MHL | 03-Nov-03 | 6’3″ | 181 | L |
| 86 | Alexander Suzdalev | 78.2 | LW | HV71 J20 | J20 Nationell | 05-Mar-04 | 6’2″ | 176 | L |
| 87 | Otto Salin | 79.7 | D | HIFK U20 | U20 SM-sarja | 07-Mar-04 | 5’11” | 205 | R |
| 88 | Jake Karabela | 80 | C | Guelph Storm | OHL | 07-Mar-04 | 5’11” | 172 | L |
| 89 | Ilya Kvochko | 80 | C/LW | Stalnye Lisy Magnitogorsk | MHL | 22-Feb-04 | 5’9″ | 159 | L |
| 90 | Jorian Donovan | 81 | D | Hamilton Bulldogs | OHL | 05-Apr-04 | 6’2″ | 181 | L |
| 91 | Jordan Dumais | 81.3 | RW | Halifax Mooseheads | QMJHL | 15-Apr-04 | 5’9″ | 165 | R |
| 92 | Kirill Dolzhenkov | 83 | LW | Krasnaya Armiya Moskva | MHL | 20-Apr-04 | 6’6″ | 236 | L |
| 93 | Jack Devine | 83.7 | RW | Univ. of Denver | NCAA | 02-Oct-03 | 5’11” | 176 | R |
| 94 | Matthew Seminoff | 84 | RW | Kamloops Blazers | WHL | 27-Dec-03 | 5’11” | 183 | R |
| 95 | Pano Fimis | 84 | C | Niagara IceDogs | OHL | 17-Jun-04 | 5’11” | 176 | R |
| 96 | Tyler Duke | 84.5 | D | U.S. National U18 Team | USDP | 19-Jul-04 | 5’9″ | 179 | L |
| 97 | Nicholas Moldenhauer | 85 | C/RW | Chicago Steel | USHL | 25-May-04 | 5’11” | 170 | R |
| 98 | Elias Pettersson | 85 | D | Örebro HK J20 | J20 Nationell | 16-Feb-04 | 6’2″ | 185 | L |
| 99 | Quinn Finley | 85.3 | F | Madison Capitols | USHL | 08-Aug-04 | 6’0″ | 170 | L |
| 100 | Jace Weir | 85.5 | D | Red Deer Rebels | WHL | 21-May-04 | 6’2″ | 192 | R |
Anything can happen
The Flames might not even make the 59th overall selection when it finally arrives if they opt to trade it instead. No matter where they are at when it comes to their first selection of the 2022 NHL Draft, it’s clear there will be many options available. Let’s hope it pans out for Calgary.
