Calgary Flames take highly-touted defenceman with sixth-overall pick

The long-lasting debate as to who the Calgary Flames would take with the sixth-overall pick is no longer.

After plenty of deliberation, Flames icon Lanny McDonald hit the podium and selected defenceman Carson Carels from the Pringe George Cougars.

HOW ABOUT THIS CALGARY BLUE LINE?! 🔥

Carson Carels is selected with the sixth overall pick in the 2026 #NHLDraft 👏 pic.twitter.com/N243kstGR0

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 27, 2026

This was a bit of a unique pick, as Carels wasn’t at the draft. Instead, he stayed home at his family farm near Cypress River, Manitoba. It was a great scene, as he was surrounded by tons of family and friends as the pick was announced.

Though some thought the Flames may look to target a centreman with this pick, they instead elected to grab one of the best left-shot blueliners in this draft class. Most figured they would not target a right-shot defenceman such as Keaton Verhoeff or Chase Reid after trading for Simon Nemec earlier in the week.

Carels, who scored 20 goals and 73 points for the Cougars this past season, is described as a two-way defender with an above average skating ability. As you would expect given his 20-goal season, he also possesses one of the better shots in all of this draft class.

What makes this pick all the more exciting for Flames fans is that Carels made it very clear before the draft that he would love to be in Calgary.

“It’d be really exciting. I’d be ecstatic, for sure,” Carels said to Sportsnet 960’s Pat Steinberg and Logan Gordon. “I think Zayne [Parekh] would probably be the first person that calls me, he’d be over the moon. I’d be really excited.”

Carels recently committed to the University of North Dakota for the 2026-27 season. If he fares well against the tougher competition, it’s possible that he signs his entry-level contract shortly after and turns pro for the 2027-28 season. Regardless, this is a very high-end pick who has serious potential to turn into a game-breaking defenceman.

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