Wednesday saw the Flames make a shocking trade, sending veteran Mackenzie Weegar to the Utah Mammoth. In return, they got three second-round picks in the upcoming draft, Olli Maatta, and prospect Jonathan Castagna. The trade came after a crushing 6–1 loss at the hands of the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night. The loss was a tough sight for what was Weegar’s last game in the Saddledome.
On Thursday things went from bad to worse, with the Flames dropping a 4-1 contest to the Ottawa Senators and moving into 31st in the NHL. They followed that up by making another massive trade, sending Nazem Kadri back to Colorado for draft picks and prospects. In other words, the rebuild is on.
In the second edition of our weekly series, let’s take a look at the current 2026 first-round draft picks owned by the Flames and where they would project if the draft were today.
2026 First-rounders the Flames own
Calgary currently holds two 2026 first-round picks:
- Their own pick, which would be 2nd overall in draft lottery odds
- The Vegas Golden Knights’ pick, which would hypothetically be 20th overall as Vegas has fallen out of first in the Pacific.
Despite only second-rounders returning in the Weegar trade, those three picks include the New York Rangers (currently 35th overall), the Ottawa Senators (currently 47th overall) and Utah’s own (projected 51st overall). With the Rangers’ pick, the Flames will now hold two first-round picks and two second-round picks projected to be between 33rd and 37th overall.
Recap of the week
Last week, the Flames played four games, starting with Macklin Celebrini and the San Jose Sharks. The Flames came out on top, securing two points in a 4–1 victory. Next, the Flames headed south to Los Angeles, losing to the Kings 2–0 before their final stop on the West Coast road trip in Anaheim. Despite the Flames’ best efforts, they fell in a shootout to the Ducks 3–2. They left California with three of a possible six points.
Tuesday saw the Flames come back to the Dome for the first time since the Olympic break. Unfortunately, it was one to forget. The tough 6–1 loss was hard to swallow as Mackenzie stepped off the ice for what would be his last game as a Calgary Flame. Then on Thursday the Flames played a tight contest with the Ottawa Senators, eventually losing 4-1 in what would be Nazem Kadri’s final game with the Flames.
Vegas played the Kings to start their post-Olympic stretch, winning 6–4 despite resting five of their top players. The following three games, however, saw the Knights struggle to find their game. They lost 3–2 in Washington, a crushing 5–0 loss in Pittsburgh, and another 3–2 regulation loss against the Buffalo Sabres. The string of losses loosened the Knights’ grip on the Pacific division lead. Despite a 4–3 OT win against the Detroit Red Wings last night, Vegas has slipped out of first in the Pacific thanks to a 4-2 loss to the Wild last night.
Upcoming Games
Carolina will be in town before Calgary heads to Washington to begin a 5-game road trip on Monday. The Flames will play the New York Rangers on Tuesday on a back-to-back before our next edition is published, before capping off the trip the following week with the Devils, Isalnders and Red Wings.
Vegas will be back at home to take on the Edmonton Oilers before heading to Dallas. For the Knights, the rematch at home will hopefully soften their heavyweight stretch, taking on the Penguins next Thursday.
21 games remaining: The Tank is on
The Weegar and Kadri trades mark a notable shift in Flames front office culture. Although rumours had swirled around the veterans all season, I don’t think many believed a trade would get done for both veterans. At least in the middle of the season.
Now, all the doubters (myself included) have to give Craig Conroy and the Flames front office their flowers. They traded two pieces of their core, both of whom were greatly valued by both the team and the fanbase. This is the boldest commitment to the future made midseason in this ownership’s tenure.
Craig Conroy was given more rope to work on this trade, and the outlook clearly has shifted. The timeframe is no longer “compete this season”, it’s “compete in the new arena”.
Stay tuned for weekly updates on the Flames’ 2026 first-rounders throughout the remainder of the season.