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Calgary Flames continuing to seek a top-line centre: report

Colton Pankiw
Colton Pankiw
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Apr 24 2026, 3:21 pm
Calgary Flames continuing to seek a top-line centre: report
Sergei Belski/Imagn Images

Even after drafting two centres in the first round last year, the Calgary Flames are still looking to improve down the middle of the ice.

The Flames have been lacking at the centre position for some time, and got even weaker in that area after trading Nazem Kadri to the Colorado Avalanche.

Last offseason, we heard several times that GM Craig Conroy was looking at options to bring in a young, NHL-ready centreman. Fast forward to where we are now, and that continues to be the biggest goal for this organization.

“Conroy’s whale, like the Moby-Dick he’s looking for, is a centre. Like a top-flight, top centre,” Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said on a recent 32 Thoughts podcast. “They’re so hard to find.

“That’s what I look at there with Calgary. Can they get a centre, a really good centre, at the top of this draft? If not, where do they go looking? They’re hard to trade for, but with a lot of assets, I think Conroy will continue to look for young players, under-25 guys who might be available that can grow with the team.”

As Friedman mentioned, the upcoming draft could give the Flames the top-tier centre they are looking for.

The Flames finished 29th in the NHL standings this season, giving them a 9.5 per cent chance at selecting first overall. While the projected first-overall pick is expected to be left winger Gavin McKenna, there are a number of intriguing centre prospects slated to be picked shortly after.

The top centre going into this draft in the eyes of most is Caleb Malholtra, the son of former NHLer Manny Malholtra. The 17-year-old racked up 29 goals and 84 points in 67 games with the OHL’s Brantford Bulldogs this season.

Other centres expected to go early in this year’s draft include Tynan Lawrence, Viggo Bjorck, and Oliver Suvanto.

Plenty of this will come down to who is available when the Flames go up to the podium to announce the first of their two first-round selections. The lowest they can fall is sixth overall, a spot where plenty of good centres should still be available. That said, they may still monitor the trade market going into the draft to see if other options are available.

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