How Vegas Stanley Cup Final Loss Affects Flames Draft

To sum it up, both draft picks Vegas sent to Calgary began as a 2027 first-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick. If the Golden Knights had been crowned Stanley Cup Champions in 2026, the Flames would have received upgrades on their future capital. Barring a Vegas collapse in 2027, they’d own a Golden Knights first-round pick in each of the next three first rounds of the 2026, 2027, and 2028 NHL drafts, along with each of their own.

That is no longer the case with these two draft picks, after the Golden Knights conceded to the Hurricanes in six games. If Vegas had won the 2026 Stanley Cup, the 2028 second-round pick would’ve been upgraded to a first-round pick for the Flames in that respective draft. Because Carolina won, that draft pick will remain in the second round in 2028.

As for the 2027 1st, where it will lie is still up for grabs. General Manager Kelly McCrimmon placed a top-10 protection on the pick, per puckpedia. Although this outcome is unlikely, this means that if the Golden Knights end up with a top-10 pick in the NHL Draft after the lottery, Calgary will instead receive a 2028 first-round pick. If Vegas won the Stanley Cup in 2026 and then they ended up as one of the worst teams in 2027, the Flames would’ve received a 2029 first from the Golden Knights; this outcome is no longer possible.

Calgary is set to begin their offseason with the sixth overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft in Buffalo, followed by the 30th overall selection with Vegas losing the Cup Final. Those two first-rounders are an integral start to a draft that will see six total selections from the Flames in the top-64 of the 2026 NHL draft and two more in the third round. The 30th overall pick came from dealing away Noah Hanifin to the Golden Knights for a 2025 first-round pick. That eventually resolved to Calgary’s second first-round pick as we near this year’s draft because of a condition, as Vegas traded its 2025 first to San Jose in a package for Tomas Hertl. In 2025, Nashville used the first to select Ryker Lee via the Yaroslav Askarov trade.

Calgary finished this past season seventh in the Pacific Division with a record of 34-39-9, reaching just 77 points. They have not made the Stanley Cup Playoffs since the 2021-22 season, but with these draft developments, it can add to a youthful prospect pool that can help them get back there in time. Most notably, their prospect pool will see two major additions alongside 20-year-old defenseman Zayne Parekh, 19-year-old NCAA centers in Cole Reschny and Cullen Potter, 20-year-old winger Matvei Gridin, and the 2025-26 NCAA scoring leader, Quinnipiac’s Ethan Wyttenbach.

Photo Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images