With the NHL trade deadline in the past, the Flames have started the final stretch of the season with a new look to their roster and a bolstered pool of prospects and draft capital. Although Craig Conroy didn’t secure any additional 2026 first-round picks, he boosted fan morale to a high we haven’t seen in years. Conroy did what most thought impossible in Calgary, and traded a key veteran with term on their contract at the deadline. Twice, and the second time the Flames even retained salary.
All in all, the Flames will hold at least six first-round picks and eight second-round picks over the next three seasons.
In the third edition of our weekly series, let’s take a look at the current 2026 first-round draft picks owned by the Flames and where they would project if the draft were today.
2026 First-rounders the Flames own
Calgary currently holds two 2026 first-round picks:
- Their own pick, which would be 2nd overall in draft lottery odds
- The Vegas Golden Knights’ pick, which would currently be 17th overall, with Vegas sitting second in the Pacific and the Senators being bumped back to 32nd overall as a penalty for the Evgenii Dadanov situation.
Although the only 2026 draft picks acquired at the deadline were second-rounders, those three picks include the New York Rangers (currently 36th overall), the Ottawa Senators (currently 47th overall), and the Utah Mammoth (projected 52nd overall). With the Rangers’ pick, the Flames now hold 4 of the first 36 2026 draft picks, or roughly 11%.
Recap of the week
Saturday saw a great performance by the Flames, defeating the Carolina Hurricanes 5-4 at home with a depleted post-deadline roster. The team was quickly brought back to Earth in Washington on Monday night, losing to the Capitals 7-3 in a forgettable performance. The following night was much of the same as the draft lottery destined Rangers handed the Flames a 4-0 shutout loss. The Flames did, however, bounce back last night, defeating the Devils 5-4 thanks to a horrific performance from Jacob Markstrom.
Vegas has continued to slide with two regulation losses against the Edmonton Oilers, 4-2, and the Dallas Stars, 2-1. Vegas was able to get back in the win column yesterday, with a 6-2 win over Pittsburgh.
Upcoming Games
The New Look Flames will face off against Matthew Schaefer and the Islanders Saturday, and finally wrap up their eastern road trip in Detroit against the Red Wings on Monday. The Dome will host the Blues next Wednesday, which is sure to have draft lottery implications as St. Louis sits 28th overall in league standings.
The Golden Knights host Chicago Saturday, Buffalo Tuesday, and wrap it up with Utah next Thursday. There’s no question the Knights will be looking to improve on a difficult post-Olympic stretch of play, and Flames fans will keep our fingers crossed for losses as the Knights barely hang on to a playoff spot.
17 games remaining: So bad it’s good
With the Flames finally accepting the inevitable, last week’s trade deadline saw a commitment to the future as we have yet to see in Calgary. Conroy loaded up on draft capital for the next three seasons, while already having an established pipeline of solid prospects. Gridin is exceeding expectations, Wynnebach is leading the NCAA in scoring as a 5th round pick, and there are now only 8 players over the age of 30 on the roster, which means there’s room for prospects to move up to the big club.
It’s finally happened. The Flames are committed to transitioning towards a younger core built from the ground up. So far, Conroy has done an outstanding job creating the foundation for this prospect pool and will only continue to add in the next three drafts.
Furthermore, as much as some fans were disappointed to hear how much “culture” was preached over the past 18 months, newly acquired veteran Center Dylan Strome vocalized how unique the Flames room felt in their current position. The organization kept around key veterans like Blake Coleman and Mikael Backlund to maintain that culture and leadership, but didn’t get greedy when solid offers were presented for more valuable veterans. With a new building on the way, Calgary is on track to be a very desirable place to play in the coming years.
Stay tuned for weekly updates on the Flames’ 2026 first-rounders throughout the remainder of the season.
