Flames' chances to draft first overall slim but not impossible
In less than three months, a team will walk to the podium to draft Macklin Celebrini first overall, and it could be the Calgary Flames.
Since being eliminated on Thursday night in a loss to the Winnipeg Jets, Flames fans have shifted their focus to the upcoming draft, which features some top-tier talent. That said, one stands above the rest in Celebrini.
The 17-year-old, who had a big role for Team Canada at this year’s World Junior tournament, is the consensus first-overall pick for the upcoming draft. He is tearing it up with Boston College, having scored 32 goals and 64 points in 37 games, both of which lead his team by a wide margin.
The San Jose Sharks currently have the best shot at landing him, with a 25.5% chance of doing so. Coming in seven teams later is the Flames, who don’t have nearly as good of an opportunity to land the first-overall pick, but have a chance nonetheless.
The Flames currently sit 25th in league standings, giving them a 54.4% chance to be rewarded with the eighth overall pick if the season ended today. While plenty of talented prospects will remain on the board at eighth overall, fans are far more excited to see that the Flames also have a 6% chance at receiving the first-overall selection.
The Flames’ odds of selecting first could increase before the end of the season, as they could fall further down the standings. They are currently just a point ahead of the 26th-place Ottawa Senators, two points ahead of the 27th Arizona Coyotes, and three ahead of the 29th Montreal Canadiens. If the Flames were to slide down to 29th by season’s end, they would see their chances of selecting first overall increase to 8.5%.
If the Flames remain where they are in the standings and receive the eighth-overall pick, the focus will be on Tij Iginla. The son of Flames icon Jarome is currently being projected to go 11th overall, as per Sportsnet’s latest rankings, but with the obvious connection between the two parties, some believe general manager Craig Conroy may reach slightly to bring Iginla to the organization.
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