Calgary Flames are in a unique position to trade up at the 2026 draft
There are few teams heading into the 2026 NHL draft in a better position than the Calgary Flames.
Though the Flames didn’t get the luck they were hoping for on Tuesday’s draft lottery, they will still be picking at sixth overall. The organization has had luck in that spot in the past, taking Matthew Tkachuk a sixth overall in 2016, and Sean Monahan in 2013.
Dating back even further, they were able to take longtime NHLer Cory Stillman in that spot back in 1992.
Picking sixth isn’t the only thing that has the Flames set up well for this draft, either. They not only have a second first-round pick, but also have eight total selections in the first three rounds.
The stockpile of picks has resulted in some questioning if a trade could be on the horizon. And maybe, just maybe, there is an opportunity to move up a few spots from the current sixth pick they have.
One team that sounds open to trading down in the draft is the San Jose Sharks. They jumped all the way from ninth to second in Tuesday’s lottery, giving them an excellent opportunity to add yet another star talent to their impressive roster.
That said, it could also present an opportunity for them to move the pick for several assets in return, something GM Mike Grier seemed open to following Tuesday’s result.
“I’m always open to listening to what’s out there,” Grier said. “If people have ideas or thoughts, then I’ll listen and go from there.”
Prying away that number two pick, however, would be quite difficult.
The general consensus heading into this year’s draft is that Gavin McKenna will be taken first overall, with Ivar Stenberg slotting in at number two. After that, there is a wide variety of players slotted in the three to 10 range, depending on which draft ranking you look at.
That’s what makes the Chicago Blackhawks an intriguing team for Flames fans to keep an eye on.
The Blackhawks are looking to make some progress in their rebuild, as they have finished bottom two in the NHL standings in all three seasons with Connor Bedard. They’ve accumulated some impressive prospects over that span, but need to start making the push towards being a playoff team.
Following yesterday’s lottery, the Blackhawks received the fourth-overall pick in this year’s draft. Given how close several prospects in that range appear to be, one can’t help but wonder if they’d be open to trading the pick.
One potential option for the Flames would be trading the sixth-overall selection, along with their second first-round pick, which they received from the Vegas Golden Knights in the Noah Hanifin trade.
If the Blackhawks would prefer a young player who is closer to being NHL-ready, perhaps the Flames’ sixth pick, packaged with Sam Honzek or Connor Zary, could be of more interest.
This would allow the Flames to better ensure they get the player they want early in this draft, while the Blackhawks would slide back just two spots and improve their current NHL roster.
While a move up the board is far from guaranteed, the Flames are one of the few teams with the assets to seriously explore it. With a surplus of picks and prospects at their disposal, donāt be surprised if Craig Conroy at least makes a push to climb a few spots and target a player theyāre high on.
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