We start today with a look at current draft picks held by the Calgary Flames. Courtesy of Puckpedia.
While the 2026 NHL Entry Draft bears boundless in possibility due to their two first round picks, four second round picks and two third round picks, next year has the possibility of even more.
Holding their own first round pick, Vegas’ selection in the top 32 (top-10 protected), their own second round pick and the better of Minnesota or Colorado’s second round pick, there is already a solid base.
That is before general manager Craig Conroy has done any wheeling and dealing of pending 2027 unrestricted free agents. Today we’ll be looking at Calgary’s potential rentals and what they might get in return.
5. D Joel Hanley
Age: 34 Height: 5’11” Weight: 186lbs
Cap Hit: $1,750,000
Rounding out Calgary’s list of July 1, 2027 departees is Joel Hanley, who promptly carved out a top four role upon being claimed off of waivers from the Dallas Stars late in the 2023-24 regular season.
The following year, the pairing of Hanley and MacKenzie Weegar logged the second most even strength minutes on the Flames at a flat 610:00. Their 57% xGF% was first on the team among pairings to play 200 or more minutes together.
Much like his defence partner, Hanley’s trajectory took a turn for the worse last season. While Weegar managed to hold his spot in the top four, Hanley fell to the third pairing by early November.
Injury issues compounded on an already troubling season. The 34-year-old (his birthday is early next week) from Keswick, Ontario managed to dress for 68 games logging zero goals and seven assists before an upper body injury sustained against the Ducks on March 1.
Expected Return: 2026 sixth round pick
We live in a world where offensive defenceman Timothy Liljegren only costed Washington a fourth round pick at last deadline. The 27-year-old right shot defender was then signed to a two-year, $6,500,000 deal and appears to be part of their core rotation of blue liners. Expecting a better return for Joel Hanley might be asking too much.
Hanley’s value may be helped by how well he plays in his return. With Kevin Bahl and Yan Kuznetsov ahead of him on the depth chart, the best-case scenario for the veteran defenceman would be clinging to a third pairing role before being shipped to a contender.
Teams looking for cheap playoff depth could do worse than Hanley, who has served well as a black ace in the past.
4. D Brayden Pachal
Age: 26 Height: 6’3″ Weight: 203lbs
Cap Hit: $1,187,500
Another player that may struggle to stay in the lineup next season, Brayden Pachal has plenty to offer to a would-be contender.
Weighing in at six-foot-two and 203 pounds and hailing from Estevan, Saskatchewan; Pachal can play a physical game that becomes ever more valuable as team ventures into the later rounds.
At just 26 (27 by the deadline) and coming into the season with only 177 regular season and one post-season games to his resume; there is plenty of tread left on those tires.
Expected Return: 2026 third round pick
We live in a world where Tyler Myers fetched a second and a fourth round pick at the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline. While Pachal has less experience than Myers, he is more sound defensively. He also also carries a more cap friendly $1,187,500 annual cap hit.
Assuming Pachal carves out a spot on his off-side over Hanley, he should draw some interest.
3. C Ryan Strome
Age: 32 Height: 6’1″ Weight: 192lbs
Cap Hit: $5,000,000
Calgary’s greatest deadline wildcard is 32-year-old center, Ryan Strome. Producing five goals and seven assists for 12 points in 19 games following his deadline acquisition, the Mississauga, Ontario product has already proven that he is worth more than the 2027 seventh round pick that the Flames gave up for him.
That production projects to a 51-point season, which would have led the Flames last year. Winger Matthew Coronato led Calgary with 45.
If Ryan Strome manages to maintain that projection, a late first might not be out of the question. After all, right-handed centers don’t grow on trees—right?
Expected Return: 2028 second round pick
There simply isn’t a GM in the NHL that will pony up a first after the Flames only gave up a seventh round pick. Full stop. Plenty of executives would rather pass on a decent center option than be put in that light by their fan base. Strome brings back a late second if he performs well and a fourth if he’s on pace for around 35 points.
2. Morgan Frost
Age: 27 Height: 6’0″ Weight: 193lbs
Cap Hit: $4,375,000
“Career underperformer” isn’t a great term for a professional athlete, but it fits for the sublimely skilled Morgan Frost.
If the dynamic middle-six center could just finish on 5% more of the chances he generates with his speed and puck skills, Frost wouldn’t be deemed a middle six forward.
The hands are there. The speed metrics are well above average. All that is required is putting the puck in the net when the time comes.
The Philadelphia Flyers played that will he/won’t he game for four years to varying results. The Aurora, Ontario native almost matched a career high 46 points from 2022-23 last year when he notched 22 goals and 21 assists for 43 points in 82 games—but there is so much more there if he could just execute more effectively.
Expected Return: 2028 first round pick and a B Level Prospect
First off, we don’t have much for recent precedent for an offensive 40-some point 2C being moved at the deadline. Nic Roy was certainly a notable center that was traded for a conditional first and a conditional fifth, so we’ll go with that even though his 25 points don’t come close. Tack it up to intangibles. Add in Conroy’s penchant for acquiring undervalued more NHL-ready prospects and “voila”. We have our expected return.
We could see the price become a little more or a little less depending on Frost’s offensive totals. We are all but guaranteed to see Frost get prime offensive deployment down the middle. Similar to the team’s scoring leaders, Frost trailed only Coronato in powerplay deployment.
Flames Powerplay Ice Time Leaders – 2025-26 Regular Season
Matthew Coronato: 222:01
Morgan Frost: 219:24
Nazem Kadri: 193:07
Next year won’t feature Kadri soaking up offensive deployment, so we may even see his totals go higher. Especially after youngsters Zayne Parekh and Matvei Gridin proving that they were capable of more offensively in late March and early April.
1. Blake Coleman
Age: 34 Height: 5’11” Weight: 199lbs
Cap Hit: $4,900,000
Coming in at number one is the tenacious Texas Tiger. Blake Coleman and his partner in crime Mikael Backlund carried the Flames offence through a number of dry spells in 2026. Despite missing 13 games (and probably he should have missed more) Coleman finished sixth in scoring on the Flames with 20 goals and 15 assists for 35 points.
More importantly, him and Backlund were a bastion of two-way value on a team struggling to both attack and defend. The Flames finished with a 29th place -47 in goals scored vs. goals allowed. 212-259. Coleman led the team by a vast margin at +13 at even strength and played a major part on both sides of Calgary’s special teams.
Flames Plus/Minus Leaders – 2025-26 Regular Season
Blake Coleman: +13
Mikael Backlund: +7
Rasmus Andersson: +3
If we look at how the Flames performed without Coleman and/or Backlund, we see a team more of less deserving of a bottom-two finish.
On-Ice With/Without 5v5 Goals(%) – Coleman & Backlund
With Coleman & Backlund: 34-31 (52.31%)
With Coleman (W/O Backlund): 7-6 (53.85%)
With Backlund (W/O Coleman): 6-9 (46.61%)
Without Coleman or Backlund: 96-130 (48.46%)
We see that the team not only performs poorly without Coleman, but so does Calgary’s captain on his own.
It’s difficult to quantify exactly how far Blake Coleman moved the needle for the Calgary Flames last season. Many of his 20 goals were individual efforts where he produced a turnover on his own and buried the rush chance. What is certain is that the 34-year-old right winger has plenty left to give and what he can provide will be invaluable on a run to the Stanley Cup.
Expected Return: 2027 first round pick and a second round pick in 2027 or 2028
We live in a world where a 40 year old Corey Perry brought back a 2028 second round pick. Coleman brings far more value at this stage of his career. It would be safe to tack on another of Conroy’s classic early-20’s NCAA prospects to the deal if Coleman is indeed on the move.
Looking Forward
Perhaps we’re on the optimistic side, but the Flames could be sitting on an additional two firsts, a second, third and a seventh by the time the 2027 NHL Trade Deadline comes and goes. That would leave Calgary with even more draft capital than they have in the upcoming 2026 NHL Entry Draft. Now that expectations are set unreasonably high, it might be healthy to remind the reader that the market is a moving target and things can change quickly.
As an offer to Conroy and the Flames brain trust, here is a quote from American fiction writer, Lois McMaster Bujold:
Aim high. You may still miss the target, but at least you won’t shoot your foot off.
Statistics courtesy of Puckpedia, Elite Prospects, NaturalStatTrick and the National Hockey League.
Keep Reading:
How Have the Flames Performed in Previous Pick-Loaded Drafts?
Flames Affiliate to Bruins First Pairing: The Rise of Jonathan Aspirot
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