Five defencemen the Calgary Flames should consider in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft

The Calgary Flames are less than two months away from the 2025 NHL Draft and will have at least two picks in the first round. While there is an ongoing debate as to whether it makes more sense to draft the best player available or to draft a player based on need, many excellent defencemen will be available when the Flames make their first-round pick at 18th overall. Let’s take a look at some of the players they could select.

Cameron Reid

Ranked 17th on our Consolidated Draft Rankings, the Kitchener Rangers defenceman stands six feet tall and weighs in at 174 pounds. Known for his two-way play, Cameron Reid‘s draft stock has grown substantially this year following a 54-point season in the OHL.

Reid is an excellent defensive defenceman who is great at closing down the gap on opponents and defending on the rush. Despite being just six feet tall, he’s able to use his size to keep players to the outside and battles hard in the corners. He’s a strong skater and has taken strides to be more willing to jump into the offensive side of the game. He’s one of the best skaters in the draft class, and that makes him a threat every time the puck is going up ice.

He does need to work on his offensive awareness, but jumping to 54 points this season from 23 last is a major step forward. The Flames know the Kitchener Rangers defence well, as that’s where Hunter Brzustewicz played his Junior hockey, and have likely scouted Reed extensively. If he’s still available, the left-shot defenceman would be a great addition to the Flames.

Radim Mrtka

The right-shot defenceman is currently listed at 12th on our 2025 Consolidated Draft Ranking, and stands 6’6″, weighing in nearly 200 pounds. Given his size, odds are Radim Mrtka may go even higher than 12th.

The forward from Czechia made the jump to North America this season and put up 35 points in 43 games for the Seattle Thunderbirds. Comparable to Travis Sanheim, the enormous defenceman is extremely mobile for his size and is unafraid to go to work in the corners. Defensively, he’s able to maintain good gap control and keep forwards to the outside. Offensively, he’s quite strong as well, able to distribute the puck effectively, and has a decent shot as well.

Mrtka is likely to be drafted in the middle of the first round, and maybe gone before the Flames select. However, if he’s still available, the Flames should really take a long look at the Czech blueliner.

Logan Hensler

The right-shot defenceman spent this year with the University of Wisconsin Badgers, where he put up 12 points in 32 games. Logan Hensler came in 18th in our 2025 Consolidated Draft Rankings and stands 6’2″ and weighs in at 198 pounds.

The one thing to note about Hensler is that he’s taken a massive step forward this year as he moved to the NCAA. Taking a step forward in your draft year is normal, but jumping up like this when moving to a much tougher league like the NCAA is a rarity. His mobility and skating are both exceptional, and he has shown flashes of offensive brilliance this season.

Hensler is strong offensively, using his skating to get away from defenders at the blueline, but could use work when it comes to finding shooting lanes. Defensively, he’s got a great stick, but does need to work on using his body more effectively to take away chances. A hard-working two-way right-shot defenceman screams Flames.

Kashawn Aitcheson

Standing 6’1″, the Barrie Colts defenceman had 59 points in 64 games and sits 21st in our 2025 Consolidated Draft Rankings.

A powerful defenceman, Kashawn Aitcheson moves the puck well and is a hard-hitting physical player. Known for having a very strong compete level and being able to disrupt plays in all areas of the ice, he has been described as a nightmare to play against.

Offensively, he has a strong shot and has the skating to get to dangerous areas of the ice. He reads the game at a high level and can impact the game from both ends of the ice. While he’s not a flashy player offensively, it’s his hits and snarl that make him a player that coaches will love. His offence may not translate as well to the NHL level, but his defensive game and compete level likely will.

Jackson Smith

Coming out of the Tri-City Americans in the WHL, Jackson Smith finished ninth in our consolidated draft rankings this year. However, with how volatile this draft is, he could go anywhere inside the first round. With 54 points and 68 games and strong skating ability, Smith is the type of player that teams will like.

A model of a modern NHL defenceman, Smith can walk the blueline effectively in the offensive zone and read the game at a high level. He makes the right choice more often than not and can propel the puck up ice either by himself or with effective passes in his end. Smith is strong, able to keep defenders to the outside, and uses his stick to break up plays.

The challenge with Smith is that he tends to rush his plays as opposed to taking a second to make the right call. However, this is something that comes with time, and as he adds more experience, he will likely become a top-four defenceman in the NHL.

While it’s unlikely he falls to the Flames, if he’s available when they draft, they should snag the Calgary-born defenceman.

Blake Fiddler

The son of former NHLer Vernon Fiddler, Blake Fiddler is an enormous right-shot defenceman who put up 33 points in 64 games for the Edmonton Oil Kings. Known for his defensive game, Fiddler averaged around 22 minutes of ice time a night and was effective in a shutdown role.

Not just a stay-at-home defenceman, Fiddler can move the puck up the ice and contribute offensively. However, he does not have much in the way of dazzling offensive instincts or skills, but he is a reliable workhorse who can hold his own offensively or defensively. Defensively, given his size and strength, he’s the type of player that teams will target.

Fiddler finished 25th in our consolidated rankings this year, but feels like the type of player who may drop to the second round. Their prospect pool, and especially with Zayne Parekh taking a step forward next season, Fiddler is not a bad player to look at with their second first-round pick or their second-round pick. Ideally, Fiddler could be a strong defensive defenceman, playing heavy minutes at the NHL level similar to Brandon Carlo of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Who should the Flames select?

The Calgary Flames currently do not have enough defencemen in their prospect pool, and should take a defenceman early in this draft. Outside of Parekh and Brzustewicz, the Flames only have Henry Mews as a right-shot defenceman in their prospect pool.

This is a good opportunity for the team to add more capacity at this position. Realistically, Smith won’t be available when they select in the first round, but there’s a good chance that Reid or Hensler will be. Given the choice, Hensler would be an excellent pick for this organization, assuming, of course, that he would be willing to sign in Calgary after he finishes his college career at the University of Wisconsin.

If he’s unwilling, the Flames should take a long look at Radim Mrtka. The defenceman from Czechia has shown himself to be an incredible two-way force, and the Flames have taken from the Seattle Thunderbirds in the past. They have scouted him already, and could use a big shutdown defenceman in their system.