The Calgary Flames have fallen in the standings a solid amount in the past little bit—enough that playoffs seem officially out of the picture. Many fans, if they haven’t already, have turned to draft coverage and the prospects that fill it. The Flames don’t have a set draft position yet, they currently sit 12th last in the league by points percentage. The catch is that realistically, they could finish as low as eighth last or as high as 16th. With the unpredictability of the draft, looking at prospects that range around those spots, above or below, is typically best to gauge exactly what type of player the Flames might land.
Forwards
Tij Iginla
By now everyone knows who Tij is, not just because he is Jarome Iginla’s son, but because he’s having a great draft year too. He’s the most obvious name to make a list about the Calgary Flames, so it felt right to start with him. Iginla looks to range from pick 10 to no later than 18th, the Flames are almost guaranteed to fall in that range.
What sticks out with Iginla is his shot and hockey IQ. These traits have made him a goal-scoring and offensive threat the whole year in the WHL and why he was recently named team MVP for the Kelowna Rockets. He’s an offensive weapon but there are some concerns about defensive play.
I don’t think the Flames should feel pressured into picking Tij, as they should not reach to draft him, but if he’s one of the best players available, there’s no big issue and would make for one great hockey story.
Konsta Helenius
Konsta Helenius is the highest-ranked Finnish prospect since Anton Lundell in the 2020 draft. Helenius projects to be picked sooner than most of the guys on this list. He’s been ranked as high as fourth and as low as 11th.
The production and all-around play style is what has caught the eyes of scouts. 36 points in 51 games against men in Finland is great for a 17-year-old. Helenius has been considered a jack-of-all-trades, he’s good at pretty much everything but has no elite trait.
Scouts do seem to love his high motor. He’ll always leave it all out there on every single shift which helps his game take a step. These reasons are why he has gained stock but also lost it, he’s a safe pick but more on the boring side as most safe picks are.
Berkly Catton
Berkly Catton is my player to watch when it comes to the draft. He’s been placed as high as third, almost being a consensus top-10 pick in rankings except for Craig Button’s placement at 13th. There’s no doubt that Catton is skilled and he has the stats to back it up with 52 goals and 113 points in 66 games with the Spokane Chiefs in the WHL.
Catton brings the full package offensively which is highlighted by his skating. Elusive, agile, and quick his skating makes him dynamic and rounds his game. He’s got everything you could ask for in a scoring forward, skilled shooting and passing, smooth hands, play-driving ability, high IQ, etc.
With his rankings, the chances the Flames land him are narrow, but he reminds me of Zach Benson in a sense. This highly talented forward was a consensus high pick that slipped out of the top 10 due to size. It wouldn’t be that surprising if it happens to Catton, especially since he’s a centre, and the Flames should be all over it if it does.
Liam Greentree
The Windsor Spitfires captain Liam Greentree is the first prospect that sort of falls into that more realistic 12–16 range that the Flames are looking at. Greentree broke onto the draft scene with his improved scoring this year in the OHL with a weak Windsor team. With a few games remaining, he has 88 points in 62 games.
He sticks out due to his skill with the puck and the creativity he has. He can confuse opponents and also avoid those who are checking with just his puck movement. He’s also strong with the puck, making it difficult to knock him off. Other traits that pop out are his deadly wrist shot, vision, and passing. He also shows inconsistent glimpses of high IQ that might be impacted by his team’s quality. Greentree does have some concerns with off-puck play and inconsistency.
He’s not exactly the type of prospect you pounce on or trade up for (unless he drops obviously) but if you leave Day 1 of the draft with him, you should still be happy.
Michael Brandsegg-Nygard
The first Norwegian projected to be selected in the first round, Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, could be a Flame after the draft. Brandsegg-Nygard has the most varying projections so far, being placed as high as 10th and as low as 27th. His production has been solid in HockeyAllsvenskan with Mora IK, getting 18 points in 41 games. The most impressive part of his season was his point-per-game World Juniors showing on a Norway team that was relegated. Brandsegg-Nygard is incredibly smart with a high hockey IQ and strong work ethic.
These qualities help him be useful offensively and defensively. He knows how to position himself to receive or help create high-danger chances on the rush or in the offensive zone. Positioning well in the defensive zone in addition to his relentless drive makes him hard to attack against. A big frame and great shot round out his game that’s not necessarily top-end but there’s no real weakness to it.
Defencemen
Zayne Parekh
Zayne Parekh is a really fun prospect. As a rookie in the OHL last year with the Saginaw Spirit, he scored more goals than assists in both the regular season and playoffs. While that isn’t the case this year, his goals still haven’t slowed down. In 63 games, Parekh has scored 31 goals and 90 points, which is good enough for the top 10 in league scoring and tied for first among all defencemen. The Spirit are a stacked team which likely helps his production somewhat, but he definitely has the talent.
He has all the traits that top-end offensive defencemen have. His top speed is fast with a quick acceleration that helps him be great in any type of offence. He steps into an attacking situation always with the idea of making something out of it. High IQ shines with his offence, placing smart shots, passes and opportunities. With most young offensive-minded defencemen, Parekh has struggles with puck watching, lacklustre defensive effort, and too high of confidence with the puck.
Parekh honestly feels like a dream for the Flames despite his rankings not being as high as one would think. His highest projection is sixth with his lowest being 13th. Maybe with the question of defensive play and size, he falls into the Flames’ lap.
Carter Yakemchuk
The Flames should have a pretty good idea of what Carter Yakemchuk is, considering they play in the same home arena. Yakemchuk is one of the oldest top prospects in this draft with a September 2005 birthday. He’s had a pretty solid year offensively with 28 goals and 65 points in 64 games. Draft projections have been interesting, with the highest of his rankings being fifth and the lowest at 24th.
Yakemchuk uses his 6’3″ frame effectively, not in the expected way of being physical, but by being aggressive. A bigger body mixed with the ability to control and keep pace makes him dangerous in the offensive zone. He doesn’t keep himself seated, always moving his feet and attacking the play. This is improved by his strong puck skills. His play in the defensive end does show some weakness but it’s nothing that can’t be improved upon.
Yakemchuk doesn’t have as high a ceiling as some of the other defencemen in this draft, but he’s a pretty safe pick that projects to be a top-four defenceman.
Zeev Buium
Zeev Buium’s strong freshmen year in the NCAA has seen him cruise up the draft rankings. Buium couldn’t get to a point-per-game pace in the USHL or USNTDP last year but that doesn’t matter. This year in 36 games, Buium is eight points over with 44.
He claimed the NCHC Offensive Defenceman and Rookie of the Year awards for his season. Buium is a pretty interesting prospect. Passing is easily a strength, his vision is fantastic being able to read plays and make dangerous passes. His shot on the other hand doesn’t have anything special to it but gets the job done. Quick hands help him put himself on the highlight reel but also be pretty good at moving the puck and cycling the offence.
Even for an offensive-minded defenceman with not the biggest frame, he’s physical and has a solid defensive game. But what makes Buium a standout is his high hockey IQ. He reads the game at a very quick pace being able to make the best play available, seeing the game at a high level, and using his creativity to generate a situation that is not there yet.
Skating is odd when it comes to him and scouts debate on it. He is quick but his stride isn’t the strongest or most effective. He carries great edgework but it’s not the smoothest out there. These things bring questions as to what he’ll be able to do at the next level. Watching where Buium goes on draft day will be interesting as he has projections as high as fifth and as low as 20th.
Adam Jiricek
Out of all the defencemen listed, Adam Jiricek is most likely to be around when the Flames pick. Jiricek is placed inside the top 10 by a few, getting as high as the ninth-ranked spot, but then is also sniffing around the end of the first-round with rankings as low as 27th. What has affected Jiricek’s stock the most is his injury in the opening game of the World Juniors. That injury sidelined him for a month.
While he won’t go as high as his brother David, Adam is still a pretty good prospect. He has struggled to produce scoring only one point with HC Plzen in Czechia. Despite his lighter frame, Jiricek already has a good two-way game. He’s got solid control of his stick being able to use it effectively and shutdown oncoming attacks.
Controlled carry exits from the defensive zone also seem to be common and he’ll typically be the one starting the rush. He’s a smart player who will take risks and attempt more difficult plays with a higher success rate. His physical presence is there and gaining some pounds put on could make him a threat.
His shot and passing skills aren’t anything to be wowed by but they get the job done. Nothing really screams top-of-the-top about Jiricek’s skills except for his four-way mobility. His mobility helps him majorly with his play, whether it’s through transition, in either zones, or avoiding opponents.
Jiricek feels like he has the potential to be more, but for now, he feels like more of a safe pick that will be around when it’s time for the Flames to go to the podium.
Lots of variety and skillsets at the NHL Draft
When it comes time for the Flames to make their pick, they should have lots of different players to choose from. Forwards or defencemen that could bring the skill this team desperately needs or safer picks that almost ensure a quality NHL player.
