Calgary Flames 2026 NHL draft first-round pick projections

The NHL regular season has entered its final month of play with much still to be decided. In the Eastern Conference, first place and the second wild card are separated by a mere 12 points. In the Western Conference, three juggernauts from the Central Division lead the pack with 90+ points. The Pacific Division-leading Anaheim Ducks have yet to muster 80 points.

It’s been a unique season to say the least. With NHL players back at the Olympics in 2026, the condensed schedule of this particular regular season has brought on a flurry of uncertainty across the league. The Flames, however, have benefited from the chaos, acquiring a plethora of draft capital and prospects at the trade deadline.

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 18th overall, with Vegas sitting third 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 35th overall), the Ottawa Senators (currently 47th overall), and the Utah Mammoth (projected 52nd overall). With the Rangers’ pick, the Flames now hold four of the first 35 2026 draft picks, or roughly 11%.

Recap of the week

The Flames headed to Long Island on Saturday to face the Islanders. It was a difficult first period for Devin Cooley, letting in three goals on 10 shots before they pulled him. Two goals in the third weren’t enough for the Flames as they fell in regulation 3–2. Monday followed suit in Detroit with a disappointing 5–2 loss. The Flames were back at the Dome on Wednesday to face fellow basement dwellers, the St. Louis Blues. It was a hard-fought game, which included the refs disallowing three goals for Calgary. Despite that, the home team found a way, winning 2–1 in a shootout.

Vegas had another mediocre week, going .500 in its four games. After winning 6–2 against the Pittsburgh Penguins last Thursday, they coupled that with a 4–2 victory against the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday. The last two games have been a different story with the Golden Knights shutout by the surging Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday, 2–0. They followed up the defeat with another disappointing 4–0 shutout loss against the Utah Mammoth.

Upcoming Games

The Flames will host the Florida Panthers tonight and have the other Sunshine State team, the Tampa Bay Lightning, in town on Sunday. The Flames will then host two divisional rivals, Anaheim and Vancouver, at the Dome on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively.

The Golden Knights will go on a short three-game road trip with a back-to-back, kicking it off on Saturday in Nashville and Dallas on Sunday. Vegas will then pop over to Winnipeg on Tuesday before returning home to host the depleted Edmonton Oilers next Thursday.

14 games remaining: The final month

With four weeks left in the NHL season, the Flames are in a stable position to be a top 3–5 lottery team. Despite being in the basement of the NHL standings, the vibes in Calgary are relatively good. Aside from some tough individual performances over the last few weeks, the team has seemed to gel even more during this transition and roster turnover.

Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee have had great moments apart and in tandem. Young players such as Matvei Gridin have showcased amazing play in the NHL ranks. Also, Flames prospect Ethan Wyttenbach leads the NCAA in scoring.

The Flames are on the right track and have been for a while. Fans just need the organization to lean into the slide and stop lying to the fanbase. They’ve done that, it seems, and now Craig Conroy and the scouting staff need to keep their nose to the grindstone. With the amount of draft capital the Flames have over the next three seasons, it could be a short wait before playoff hockey happens at Scotia Place.

Stay tuned for weekly updates on the Flames’ 2026 first-rounders throughout the remainder of the season.