The Calgary Flames’ draft pick, lottery odds, and much of the playoff picture remain undecided with the end of the regular season in sight. Calgary’s streak of hot play has cooled off despite its best efforts. After being brought back to reality, the Flames are officially eliminated from the playoffs, 3 points ahead of the Chicago Blackhawks for 31st overall.
With Vancouver firmly in last place with 52 points, no one will have any hope of catching the Canucks for the best lottery odds. However, the Flames’ 73 points place them 30th overall, separated by only 2 points from the New York Rangers. The Flames’ projected draft picks will become clearer in the coming days, along with much of the playoff picture.
2026 First-rounders the Flames own
Calgary currently holds two 2026 first-round picks:
- Their own pick, which would be 3rd overall in draft lottery odds
- The Vegas Golden Knights’ pick, which is currently slated for 24th overall if Vegas fails to make the Conference final, thanks to them now leading the Pacific Division, and the Senators’ pick being bumped to 32nd overall.
Although the only 2026 draft picks acquired at the deadline were second-rounders, those three picks include the New York Rangers (currently 36th overall), the Ottawa Senators (currently 55th overall), and the Utah Mammoth (projected 52nd overall). With the Rangers’ pick, the Flames now hold four of the first 36 2026 draft picks, or roughly 11%.
Recap of the Flames’ recent games
The Flames have played 7 games since our last edition, starting with a commanding 7-3 victory against the Vancouver Canucks. Calgary then headed to Colorado, starting a 6-game road trip against divisional playoff teams. It was a lashing in the mountains as the Avalanche pummeled the Flames 9-2, sending them to Vegas looking for luck. Unfortunately for the Flames, it was a bust as Vegas cruised past them 6-3.
Next on the western road trip was Anaheim to face one of the wounded ducks in the Pacific Division race. The Ducks and Flames faced off for a rematch of their game a week prior, where Anaheim gutted out a victory on the back of a Mikael Granlund Hat-trick goal in overtime, 3-2. The Flames got back on their feet playing another hard-fought game against the Ducks, this time coming out on top 5-3.
Dallas was next as the Flames took the Central powerhouse to overtime. The momentum wasn’t enough as the Stars secured the additional point in overtime, 4-3. On Thursday, the Flames headed back to Colorado for a quick rematch against the Aves. Calgary’s stretch of strong play resulted in a closer contest than their first, but the soon-to-be Presidents’ Trophy winners came away with another regulation victory, 3-1. They then lost a massive tank battle last night, dropping a 4-1 decision to the Seattle Kraken to move the Kraken six points ahead of Calgary.
Recap of the Golden Knights’ recent games
The Golden Knights have also played 6 games since our last edition, the first coming after a 4-3 overtime loss to the Edmonton Oilers. The Knights then played host to the Washington Capitals, heading to extra time again but unable to come up with a victory, 5-4 in a shootout. The game also happened to be the last Bruce Cassidy coached for the team, being fired the next day.
With John Tortorella at the helm, the Knights have turned their play around significantly. His first game saw the Knights face off against one of his former teams, the Vancouver Canucks, winning 4-2 at home. Next, the Flames came into town, and the Knights’ offence finally fired on all cylinders with a 6-3 victory. Edmonton was next with a rematch north of the border. Vegas kept their offence rolling, scoring 11 goals combined against the two Alberta teams, ending the week with a 5-1 lashing of the Oilers at Rogers Place.
Tuesday saw the Knights’ road trip continue with another divisional game against Vancouver. The Golden Knights took another victory against the league-worst Canucks despite a much closer contest, winning 2-1 in regulation. Thursday, Seattle was next in line for the Knights before wrapping up their road trip in Colorado. The Knights lost in a shootout to Seattle before bouncing back and defeating the Avalanche in overtime to move into first in the Pacific Division.
Upcoming Games
Calgary have just three games remaining on its schedule. The Flames will finally return home Sunday, but there won’t be any rest as the Utah Mammoth are in town and are still fighting for the first Wild Card spot. Next week, the season will wrap up with two home games. The first, against a familiar recent opponent, the Colorado Avalanche, on Tuesday night. Thursday, it’s curtains on 2025-26 as the LA Kings will come to the Dome in what could be Anze Kopitar’s last NHL game as the Kings look to clinch a playoff spot.
Vegas enters the weekend with two games remaining in its regular season. The Jets will be in Sin City on Monday at 8 pm before the Golden Knights wrap up their season against the Kraken on Wednesday at 8 pm.
3 games remaining: The Final Countdown
As the clock winds down on the 2025-26 NHL regular season, much is still undecided. Despite the Flames’ failure to earn a playoff birth, many fans would label this rag-tag season more successful than the last few seasons. With a condensed schedule and aging lineup, the Flames last ditched effort to build with this core fell through, and there was no choice left but to rip off the band-aid. It wasn’t how many fans or players wanted things to end, but it feels now like the Flames are in a better place than they were a year ago, fighting for the final wildcard spot.
Despite having to see many fan favourites depart over the past year, the Flames will look to build in the draft and through trades centred around their growing prospect pool and draft capital, and the likes of Nazem Kadri, Mackenzie Weegar, and Rasmus Andersson will all look to compete for a Stanley Cup. I think I can speak for all Flames fans and say I would love to see any of those individuals win a championship with their new teams.
Especially Andersson, if that happens, Calgary get another first.
Stay tuned for the final regular-season update on the Flames’ 2026 first-rounders.