The Calgary Flames’ second pick in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft will be either 30th or 31st overall. It depends on whether or not the Vegas Golden Knights win the Stanley Cup Final. Let’s take a look at some of the recent mock drafts that were made after the Conference Finals to see who hockey writers have the Flames selecting.
William Hakansson
In his most recent mock draft, Corey Pronman of The Athletic selected Swedish defenceman William Hakansson for the Flames. Pronman thinks Hakansson will be a “highly dependable NHL defender.” Adding a projectable player like Hakansson is exactly what the Flames should do with this pick, especially if they go with a high-upside player like Keaton Verhoeff or Viggo Bjorck at 6th overall. Hakansson spent a significant amount of time at the SHL level this season. He’s rarely been caught out of position, even though he was playing against grown men.
Liam Ruck
If the Flames draft a two-way defenceman such as Carson Carels with their first pick, then taking a forward like Liam Ruck with their second pick would be a good idea. Landing Ruck at this spot would be an excellent value pick. Steven Ellis of Daily Face-off thinks that the Flames would be “absolutely floored” to select Ruck. However, Hannah Stuart of Bleacher Report believes that Ruck should be off the board at this point. Additionally, the Flames own a plethora of second-round picks and will likely get the opportunity to unite Ruck with his twin brother, Markus.
Maddox Dagenais
Tristin McKinstry of ClutchPoints projects centre Maddox Dagenais going to Calgary late in the first round. It’s no secret that the Flames’ biggest organizational hole is the middle of the ice. So, picking up at least one centre during the first round would be ideal. Dagenais, who was the 1st overall pick in the 2024 QMJHL Draft, could potentially bring a gruelling physical game and a powerful shot to the Flames’ lineup.
Other Options
In his latest mock draft, Graviteh has the Flames going with Russian defenceman Nikita Shcherbakov. Shcherbakov offers another steady option for the blue line if Hakansson is already off the board. On the other hand, Sebastian High of Elite Prospects went with WHL forward Mathis Preston at Calgary’s selection. Preston offers the Flames an alternative route to add some skill to their forward pipeline.
Conclusion
Mock drafts indicate that the Flames will target a high-floor support piece with this pick. Drafting a shutdown defenceman to potentially complement one of Calgary’s more offensively dynamic defencemen makes a lot of sense. Selecting a forward late in the first round is also a viable option, especially if the team already secured a defenceman at 6th overall. It’s also important to note that the Flames also own both the 35th and 36th overall picks. This could potentially give management another chance to grab any players that they passed on in the first round.
