Possible Calgary Flames at 6th: Carson Carels

Draft Year Production

The product of Cypress River first put himself on notice after a solid rookie year inside the WHL. On a pretty strong Prince George Cougars team, Carels was able to carve out a sizeable role for them inside their top-four. The performance placed him around the outside looking in for the early rankings of the 2026 top 10. But Carels always had the profile to move up the rankings in his draft year. Returning to the Cougars, Carels was now the team’s number one defenceman and ready to raise his draft stock. Across 58 games, Carels would more than double his rookie production, scoring 20 goals and 73 points, placing him tied for 2nd on the team.

Carels’ great WHL showing also earned him a chance to join Canada at the World Juniors. An impressive feat for a draft-eligible player, as many don’t get the opportunity, especially if they aren’t projected for the top 3. Heading towards next season, Carels has committed to the University of North Dakota. He’s joining other familiar names for Flames fans in Cole Reschny and Keaton Verhoeff to continue building a stacked team.

The appeal of Carson Carels

The defence

So what has made Carels such a sought-after prospect? Beginning with the defence, Carels plays an already mature game that has a bit of a bite to it. Pairing in some great edgework, Carels can properly time his attacks on the puck carrier. If an opponent is on the rush, moving towards the zone, Carels has ease with keeping pace and then making his move to shut down the play. Whether it be a timely poke check, getting into the space of the opponent, or driving the puck to the outside with strategic body work. At his best, Carels does an adequate job of closing off gaps and limiting space to ramp the difficulty for opponents.

In the defensive end, Carels impacts similarly to the rush. He looks to get his stick or body into lanes, disrupting passes or blocking shots. When he does so with speed, Carels can start to develop the play in the other direction, flipping the script within a matter of seconds. Carels has also shown success with taking away personal space from opponents, leaving them with little room to get out of the situation. Proper timing of stick checks allows him to ward off the offence from the more dangerous areas of the ice. Carels isn’t afraid to engage in battles either; he’ll head into corners and use his projectable frame to apply pressure.

The offence

On the other side of the puck, Carels brings a solid offensive toolkit. With the agility that Carels has, he’s able to explode off his edges and find ground quickly in the transition. Carels has flashed some really nice crossovers, which can allow him to move with the puck on his stick smoothly. When you combine his smooth movement with a reliable ability to distribute the puck on the fly, Carels becomes a safe bet to get your team moving into offence from defence.

In the zone, Carels has the capabilities of controlling at the blueline and activating for set plays. He’s not walking across the line like Cale Makar, but Carels isn’t afraid to take a few powerful steps to swing the puck to the net or over to his teammates in dangerous positions. The struggle of traffic doesn’t typically faze Carels, and he’s able to find his teammates through multiple sticks and bodies.

The projection

When it comes to Carels, the projection has a good foundation all around. Carels boasts a solid ceiling, having the tools to become a top-pair defenceman who makes a two-way impact. The floor isn’t low either, as with what Carels brings to the table, it would be hard to imagine he can’t end up as at least a decent #4. Overall, I think a proper projection for Carels would be a #2 or #3 quality defenceman who’d pair perfectly with a puck-mover.

The possible cons of drafting Carels

My main concern with Carels comes from his offensive game. He definitely has his moments where he can pair his agility and good puck control to make highlight reel plays, but more often than not, he just doesn’t feel that dynamic offensively. There’s no specific offensive trait that Carels really sticks out with. He’s not an incredible passer, doesn’t necessarily laser shots from the blueline, and doesn’t have quick hands to burn defenders. Overall, his offensive game is solid, and there’s certainly stuff to like. However, I just feel Carels lacks that layer of deceptiveness that most top defensive prospects carry with them.

Another issue I noticed with Carels is that I think he can overcommit on defensive plays at times. There were moments where a puck carrier was trailing into the zone, and Carels stepped up to take away space, but he timed his pinch poorly, having his overcommitment leave a gap in the defensive structure. Other moments can be when he wants to make a physical play. Carels can be prone to wanting to engage with his body, so he steps out of position to do so.

Should the Flames draft Carson Carels?

If Friday ends and the Calgary Flames have drafted Carson Carels at 6th overall, I think I’d be happy. Carels has shown a mature game that has the capabilities of making an impact at both ends of the ice. On the defensive side of things, Carels flourishes with getting into the space of his opponents, shutting down opportunities with an active stick, and engaging with his willingness to get involved in the dirtier areas. He’s got some talent in the offensive end, being able to find teammates through traffic and control the puck smoothly with agility. I worry a bit about the offensive upside, but pair him with a puck mover, and it’ll be fine. Luckily for the Flames, they have a lot of those on the back end and should be able to find one that pairs well with Carels.