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Calgary Flames select two centres in first round of 2025 NHL Draft

Colton Pankiw
Colton Pankiw
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Jun 28 2025, 3:29 am
Calgary Flames select two centres in first round of 2025 NHL Draft
Sportsnet

The Calgary Flames have two new high-end prospects they hope will be able to help turn around their franchise in the coming years.

With the first of their two first-round selections, the Flames stepped up to the podium and selected Cole Reschny 18th overall.

Reschny skyrocketed up the draft boards this season and particularly as of late thanks to an outstanding showing in the playoffs. The Victoria Royals forward had an impressive enough regular season with a team-leading 92 points in 62 games, but exploded in the playoffs with nine goals and 25 points in just 11 outings.

The Flames were able to select the centerman they’ve been in search of for some time, as they lack depth in that position. The left-shot, 5’11 center is still a ways away from being NHL ready, but could wind up being the answer down the middle the Flames have been searching for.

Flames fans will want to keep an eye on Reschny next season, as his time in the WHL has come to an end following his commitment to North Dakota. It will be interesting to see how he adapts to a faster paced game against older competitors.

Their second first-round pick, which came at 32nd overall, was used to select another centerman in Cullen Potter. The left-shot 18-year-old spent the 2024-25 season playing for Arizona State University, where he scored 13 goals and 22 points in 35 games.

Potter is viewed as a bit more of a long-term project than Raschny. He doesn’t have the biggest frame at 5-foot-10, 172 pounds, which has some questioning whether he can be a centre once he reaches the NHL. That said, he is said to have outstanding speed and a very high skill level, which should give Flames fans plenty of reason to be excited.

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