Potential Calgary Flames draft pick Carson Carels hoping to be drafted by a Canadian team
NHL 2026 draft prospect Carson Carels would be overjoyed to hear a Canadian call his name at the podium this June.
The 17-year-old defenceman has been projected to go as high as second overall by TSN’s Craig Button, while most other lists have him slotted between the 3-7 range. Either way, he’s going to be one of the first players to come off the board.
Carels, who grew up in Cypress Hill, Man., said in a conversation with TSN that he would love the opportunity to join a Canadian franchise. The reason? To bring the Stanley Cup north of the border for the first time since the Montreal Canadiens won it back in 1993.
“A lot of people have asked me what team or who I would want to go to, I think any Canadian team is definitely at the top of the list,” Carels said. “You want to bring Canadian hockey back and bring a Stanley Cup back to your country. So, I think any Canadian team would be awesome.”
Carels explained that, interestingly enough, he actually grew up a Washington Capitals fan. Still, his desire to play for a Canadian team is evident.
What makes matters all the more interesting is that the Calgary Flames could very well be the team to land him. While they do have a slight chance at winning the lottery and selecting first overall, the most probable outcome will see them land the fifth-overall selection.
Though many Flames fans are hoping to see the organization draft someone up front, it’s impossible to ignore just how good Carels is. In just his second WHL season with the Kelowna Rockets, the 6-foot-2 defender scored 20 goals and 73 points.
A left-handed shot, Carels is described as a two-way defender with a strong skating ability who possesses plenty of offensive upside.
While the Flames do already have several young blueliners in their pipeline, including Zayne Parekh, Hunter Brzustewicz, and Henry Mews, building from the back out is never a bad plan for a team in a rebuilding stage.
Of course, there are a number of other Canadian teams slotted to pick high at this year’s draft. The Vancouver Canucks have the best odds of selecting first overall, while the Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets also finished in the bottom 10 in NHL standings.
While it remains to be seen what happens both at the draft lottery and on draft day, Carels will be a name for Flames fans to monitor over these next few months.
- You might also like:
- Flames assistant GM lands interview with the Canucks