Yesterday was a very disappointing day for the Calgary Flames. With the first three balls of the draft lottery drawn to 7, 2, and 11, all the Flames needed was a 10 and 1st overall would’ve been theirs. Alas, a 12 was drawn. The Toronto Maple Leafs won the 2026 draft lottery. To make matters worse, the Flames were eliminated from the 2nd draft lottery before it was even time to draw the fourth ball. The San Jose Sharks won that lottery and received their fourth top-four pick in four years.
Considering the Leafs and Sharks were both behind the Flames in the pre-lottery placement, the Flames fell two spots from 4th to 6th overall. Now, 6th overall isn’t a bad pick, but it still isn’t that coveted top-three pick the Flames have never had. Anyways, let’s take a look at the history of the 6th overall pick since 2010.
Pick history
Beginning with last year’s 2025 draft and working our way down to 2010, this is what the history of the 6th overall pick has looked like:
- 2025 – Porter Martone
- 2024 – Tij Iginla
- 2023 – Dmitri Simashev
- 2022 – David Jiricek
- 2021 – Simon Edvinsson
- 2020 – Jamie Drysdale
- 2019 – Moritz Seider
- 2018 – Filip Zadina
- 2017 – Cody Glass
- 2016 – Matthew Tkachuk
- 2015 – Pavel Zacha
- 2014 – Jake Virtanen
- 2013 – Sean Monahan
- 2012 – Hampus Lindholm
- 2011 – Mika Zibanejad
- 2010 – Brett Connolly
Too early to tell
Before breaking down the hits and misses with the 6th overall, I wanted to take a look at the few prospects that I believe it is too early to make a call on. Those would be Porter Martone, Tij Iginla, and Dmitri Simashev. The good news is that all three of these players are projecting incredibly well.
Simashev split time between the AHL and NHL this season, playing 28 NHL games and 40 AHL games. In the NHL, he was only able to produce one point. However, in the AHL, he was among the best defencemen, producing 35 points and being incredibly stable defensively. After an injury last year, Iginla returned and was scoring at a near two points per game clip in the WHL, finishing with 90 points in 48 games. Finally, Martone was among the best players in the NCAA this season, scoring 50 points in 35 games as a freshman. He would sign his ELC with the Philadelphia Flyers after Michigan State’s season ended, and put up 10 points in nine games to help push the Flyers into the playoffs.
As it currently stands, I’d still project Simashev to be at least a top-four defenceman for the Utah Mammoth. Iginla should be a top-six forward for them as well, with good potential to be a top-line scorer. As for Martone, he is looking like he is going to be one of the best players on the Flyers for years to come.
The bad picks
I want to start with the bad selections to come at 6th overall and work our way up to the good. Unfortunately, the 6th overall pick has had a solid amount of bad luck since 2010.
The first would be from that draft of Brett Connolly. Connolly only had five years as a decent role player and was out of the league by 30. The next would be Jake Virtanen in 2014. He only played 317 games and produced only 100 points; he was out of the league by 26.
Following him would be Cody Glass. Glass has fleshed out a role at the NHL level over the past four years. However, that role is a more defensive, bottom-six centre. He did score almost 20 goals this year and 26 points, but that’s not the value you are looking for at 6th overall. The Detroit Red Wings believed they got a steal with Filip Zadina at 6th overall in 2018, but alas, he would never develop into the player they hoped for. Zadina would produce under 100 points in 291 games before leaving for Europe in 2024–25, only six years after he was drafted.
The final player is a recent addition to the list: David Jiricek. Jiricek has been traded twice now, from the Blue Jackets to the Wild, and then from the Wild to the Flyers about a year later. He produced zero points in 26 total games this year with terrible metrics. The numbers were decent in the AHL this year, but considering he turns 23 in November, it doesn’t really mean much.
The okay picks
Unlike the bad picks, there have only been a couple of okay picks made with the 6th overall selection. Those being Pavel Zacha and Jamie Drysdale.
Zacha began his career serving as a middle-six centre who would score 25–35 points each year, never really taking steps forward. In the summer of 2022, he’d be shipped off to the Boston Bruins from the New Jersey Devils. This move ended up being great for Zacha’s career as he has scored about 50–60 points each year, having a career year this season with 65. Overall, Zacha has 407 points in 706 games and has become a top-six centre in Boston. Pretty good value, but maybe not exactly what you want at 6th overall.
Moving on to Drysdale, he started his career with the Anaheim Ducks. His time with the Ducks wasn’t the prettiest. It was plagued by underwhelming production, terrible underlying numbers, and many injuries. Halfway through the 2024 season, he was involved in a blockbuster deal that sent him to the Flyers. The first year and a half were pretty shaky, continuing the same trends from the Ducks. However, with this season, Drysdale started to find a role with the Flyers, and his performance has improved. His underlying numbers looked way better this year, and he could have a future as a #4 on the Flyers.
The good picks
Now moving on to what the Flames hope to follow, the good picks made at 6th overall. Thankfully, these types of picks have the highest rate, as there have been six since 2010.
The first would be Mika Zibanejad, all the way back in 2011. Since being traded to the Rangers in 2016, he has filled a role as a top-six centre with the team. From 2018 to 2024, Zibanejad had some fantastic years based on production alone, and even served as the Rangers’ 1C. After Zibanejad, Hampus Lindholm was the 2012 6th overall pick. For most of his career, Lindholm has served as at least a #3 calibre defenceman, with plenty of seasons as a top pair guy. Through his time with the Ducks and the Bruins, Lindholm has been a great piece thanks to his two-way performance and ability to step up when needed most.
These next two Flames fans will be familiar with. The first would be Sean Monahan in 2013. Before the injuries tarnished his career, Monahan was the Flames’ number one centre through the second half of the 2010s. A consistent 30-goal, 60-point, with a point per game year in 2018–19. After Monahan came Matthew Tkachuk three years later. He’d start his career pacing for about 60–70 points every year, before fully breaking out in 2021–22 with 104 points. Unfortunately, that was his last year with the Flames as he was traded in a blockbuster deal to the Florida Panthers. Every year with the Panthers, Tkachuk has scored over a point per game with another 100+ point year in 2022–23. Tkachuk has won two cups with the Panthers and has become one of the best wingers in the league.
The Detroit Red Wings made the most recent good picks at 6th overall. Moritz Seider was a surprise pick at 6th in 2019, but it paid off for the Red Wings. Seider would win the Calder and become a consistent 45-point, top-pair defender. This most recent season, Seider fully reached his potential, being arguably the best defensive defenceman while putting up 60 points. Finally, Simon Edvinsson became a full-time player for the Red Wings last year. He doesn’t put up insane point totals, but has shown tremendous two-way results. He has already become a top-four defenceman for the Red Wings and could very easily become a top-pair guy.
A history with hits and misses
Like most picks inside the top 10, 6th overall has had its fair share of varying value since 2010. There have been a handful of busts at the position, such as Jake Virtanen and Filip Zadina. A couple of players, in Pavel Zacha and Jamie Drysdale, have become solid role players on NHL teams, but not worth 6th overall. Finally, there’s been a good amount of successful picks at 6th overall. Top line centres in Sean Monahan and Mika Zibanejad, top pair guys in Hampus Lindholm and Simon Edvinsson, and stars in Matthew Tkachuk and Moritz Seider.
When the time comes in June, there should be a solid amount of great prospects available for the Flames to select at 6th. Any of Carson Carels, Keaton Verhoeff, Viggo Bjorck, etc. will be available from the Flames to take. The Flames have had recent luck with drafting 6th overall, and we can only hope that continues.
