The 2023–24 Stanley Cup playoffs have arrived! The Calgary Flames are not participating, but there are still some ramifications for the future of the franchise that comes in the form of conditional draft picks. Three conditional draft picks can be moved up or awarded to the Flames depending on what occurs in the postseason. This rooting guide will provide a roadmap of who you should be rooting for to get the best possible draft picks. Let’s look at the playoff matchups that are going to take place this postseason:
West
Dallas Stars (C1) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (WC2)
Winnipeg Jets (C2) vs. Colorado Avalanche (C3)
Vancouver Canucks (P1) vs. Nashville Predators (WC1)
Edmonton Oilers (P2) vs. LA Kings (P3)
Three competitors in the Western Conference (bolded) have ramifications for Calgary’s conditional draft picks. Let’s take a look at each of these teams and what you should be cheering for to happen.
Dallas Stars
Trading Chris Tanev brought back two pieces right away, and the potential for a third piece if things go right. The two pieces that are guaranteed are defensive prospect Artem Grushnikov and Dallas’ 2024 second-round draft choice. The third piece is Dallas’ 2026 third-round draft choice, which will only transfer to the Flames if the Stars advance to the Stanley Cup Final.
If you’re like me, you’re already rooting for the Stars to win it all so that Chris Tanev wins the Cup he rightfully deserves. It’d be even better if the Flames could grab an extra pick along the way.
Vancouver Canucks
The Elias Lindholm trade brought the Flames a small fortune. Part of that fortune was Vancouver’s 2024 first-round draft choice, as well as a conditional 2024 fourth-round draft choice (this will be New Jersey’s previously acquired by the Canucks in exchange for Curtis Lazar). That 2024 fourth-rounder will upgrade to Vancouver’s 2024 3rd rounder if Vancouver makes the Conference Finals this year.
There are two ways to look at the two picks in the Lindholm trade:
- The Canucks are eliminated in the first or second round, making their first-round selection higher (25–28 range), however, the 2024 fourth-rounder would not upgrade.
- The Canucks make it to the Western Conference Finals, placing their first-round selection in the 29–32 range, but upgrading the NJD 2024 fourth-rounder to a VAN 2024 third-rounder. Right now, moving from NJ’s fourth to VAN’s third is an upgrade of about thirteen draft positions.
Either option can be beneficial. You either move up in the first round or move up about thirteen slots from the fourth into the third round. Personally, I’d rather have the highest first rounder possible, but the Flames are in a hedged position to benefit in both scenarios.
Vegas Golden Knights
The Vegas Golden Knights snuck in and won the Noah Hanifin sweepstakes. To win, they had to give up defenceman Daniil Miromanov, their 2026 first-round draft choice, and a conditional 2024 third-round draft pick. That Vegas 2024 third-rounder will upgrade to Vegas’ 2025 second-rounder if the Golden Knights win a round in the playoffs.
Los Angels Kings
This one is just for fun. The Flames don’t even have a conditional draft pick from the Kings, but they’re playing the Oilers. So, it’s quite obvious which side every Flames fan is going to be on. Go Kings.
Best case scenario in the West
The Stars vs. Golden Knights matchup is definitely less than ideal. In fact, it’s pretty much the worst matchup possible. One of the conditional picks will not hit. So, I guess it’s up to you to decide what you’d prefer. Would you like the VGK 2024 third to turn into a 2025 second, or take a chance that the Stars go all the way to the Final and get a 2026 third? That 2025 second-round pick is definitely appetizing given the lack of 2025 picks currently owned by the Flames, but I like the sound of two third-rounders as opposed to one second-rounder.
In a perfect world, here is what happens in the Western Conference, in my eyes:
- The Vegas Golden Knights are defeated by the Dallas Stars.
- The Vancouver Canucks are defeated by the Nashville Predators.
- The Dallas Stars beat the Golden Knights, the winner of (Winnipeg/Colorado), and the winner of (Vancouver/Nashville/Edmonton/LA), to advance to the Stanley Cup Final.
In this circumstance: the Vancouver first-round pick would be the best pick possible. The Flames would also add Dallas’ 2026 third-rounder to their arsenal of draft picks.
Really, you’re rooting for one of two things to happen in the Vegas/Dallas series. Either the Stars defeat the Golden Knights and head to the Stanley Cup Finals, or the Golden Knights defeat the Stars. Anything else occurring is not beneficial to the Flames.
Worst case scenario in the West
The worst-case scenario would be:
- The Dallas Stars defeat the Vegas Golden Knights but are eliminated in the second or third round.
- The Vancouver Canucks defeat the Nashville Predators but are eliminated in the second round.
In this circumstance, the Flames would get no activity on the Stars or Golden Knights picks. If the Canucks only win one round, their first-round pick would potentially be worse than if they hadn’t won a round, and the condition on the fourth rounder wouldn’t hit, either.
East
New York Rangers (M1) vs. Washington Capitals (WC2)
Carolina Hurricanes (M2) vs. New York Islanders (M3)
Florida Panthers (A1) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (WC1)
Boston Bruins (A2) vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (A3)
There are no conditional picks for the Flames in the Eastern Conference. Just sit back and enjoy these matchups. Maybe even root for Mark Giordano and T.J. Brodie and the Toronto Maple Leafs if you’re really feeling crazy. But do you really want to see Brad Treliving lift the cup?
Photo from NHL.com
