Three years later: Looking back at the Calgary Flames’ 2022 draft class

There isn’t much to assess when it comes to the Calgary Flames’ 2022 draft class. A year in which the team was all-in on a playoff run, they had shipped out their first, third, fourth, and sixth-round picks ahead of the draft. All in all, they made just three selections in 2022. One in the second, one in the fifth, and one in the seventh. Here’s how those picks look three years later.

59th overall – Topi Ronni

From day one, this pick looked like a complete miss. Topi Ronni was coming off a season in which he had just 29 points in 30 games in Finland’s U20 league and four points in 19 games in Liiga when the Flames picked him. Not exactly numbers you expect out of a second-round pick.

He was also notoriously selected with Lane Hutson still on the board. Hutson, of course, went to the Montreal Canadiens three picks later. He is the favourite for the Calder Trophy this season after one of the best rookie seasons by a defenceman in NHL history.

Ronni followed up an underwhelming draft year with an even worse D+1 season, posting just five points in 22 games in Liiga. He also skated at the World Juniors with Finland that year, posting no points in five games. Already, the pick looked like a complete whiff. Ronni did nothing to dispel those opinions with yet another disastrous season in Liiga. This time, with a measly two points in 22 games in his D+2 season.

Following that season, Ronni was charged and given a one-year suspended prison sentence for an incident that had occurred in Finland before he was drafted. The Flames promptly renounced their rights to Ronni.

155th overall – Parker Bell

When your second pick of a draft doesn’t come until 155th overall, you aren’t exactly setting yourself up for success. Case in point, the Flames’ fifth-round selection, Parker Bell, looks to be a longshot for a new contract following the conclusion of his entry-level deal.

Bell came to Calgary following a 49-point season in the WHL in his draft year. That’s on par for a fifth-round selection. What made him an intriguing pick was his size, standing at 6’5” and over 200 pounds. The following year—his D+1 season—he took a sizeable step forward with 64 points in 55 games. It was following that season that the Flames handed him a three-year entry-level deal. A bit of a surprise for a fifth-round pick in only his D+1 season.

Unfortunately, Bell failed to continue progressing like the Flames had hoped after his breakout 2022–23 campaign. His point totals in the WHL took a step back in his D+2 season, with the same 64-point output but in 59 games this time around.

This recent season, Bell became a regular with the Wranglers, skating in 61 games and posting seven goals and 12 points. With one year left until his entry-level deal expires, Bell will need a big season in the AHL if he wants to earn another NHL contract. At this point, it looks unlikely he’ll be in the organization much longer.

219th overall – Cade Littler

As with every seventh-round pick not named Dustin Wolf, Cade Littler was a complete dart throw at 219th overall. Finding NHL talent in the seventh round is nearly impossible, and Littler’s outlook looks to back that theory up. After being selected out of the BCHL, Littler returned to the junior league in his D+1 season, posting 29 goals and 68 points. A decent output, but at a very low level. The next year, in his D+2 season, Littler split his time between the USHL and BCHL. His production dropped to below a point per game in the BCHL with just 21 points in 24 games.

Given that Littler was playing in a junior league as a 19-year-old, his production was incredibly disappointing. This past season, his D+3 year, Littler finally made the jump to the NCAA. He skated in 33 games for the University of North Dakota and posted just nine points. Needless to say, it’d be a shock to see him get an NHL contract from the Flames.