What draft picks do Calgary Flames hold after losing a first-rounder to Montreal?
The Calgary Flames will have two first-round picks at the 2025 NHL Draft this June.
The Flames were unable to strike gold at yesterday’s draft lottery. They had just a 0.5 per cent chance of retaining their 2025 first-round pick, as they dealt a top-10 protected selection to the Montreal Canadiens in the Sean Monahan trade. As a result, the Habs will retain the pick, which will come at 16th overall.
The Flames’ earliest pick at the 2025 draft will come at 18th overall, a selection they were able to get from the New Jersey Devils in the Jacob Markstrom trade last offseason. They also received a second first-round selection from the Florida Panthers in the Matthew Tkachuk deal.
How the Panthers fare in the playoffs will determine where that second first-round selection for the Flames will be. They are currently playing the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second round, and trail the series 1-0 after a 4-3 loss in Game 1 on Monday.
Should the Leafs eliminate the Panthers, the pick would be 22nd overall. That said, if the Panthers are to advance to the Eastern Conference Final or Stanley Cup Final, that pick would drop back to the 29th to 32nd overall range.
Heading into the 2024-25 season, the public consensus was that the Flames would hold onto the pick they are now sending the Canadiens’ way, as most believed they would be near the bottom of the standings. Instead, they wound up battling their way to a 41-27-14 record, missing the playoffs by just a single point.
While not having a higher first-round pick at the upcoming draft is disappointing, it will allow the Flames to have two first-round selections at the 2026 draft. Should they suffer a setback after an impressive 2024-25 campaign, it could put them in the running for the first-overall selection, where phenom Gavin McKenna will be up for grabs.
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