The NHL Draft commences this Friday at 5:00 PM MT. The Calgary Flames hold a strong draft position with the 6th overall selection. Barring any surprises, it feels pretty set that the top four will include Gavin McKenna, Ivar Stenberg, Chase Reid, and Caleb Malhotra in some order. This leaves a handful of prospects left over to be selected in the remaining top 10 selections. Although the 5th overall pick is when the draft will start to open up, the Flames are destined to have plenty of prospects they like available.
Based on reports and some vibes, I think five players could be considered when the Flames walk to the podium at 6th overall. Those players are defencemen Keaton Verhoeff, Carson Carels, and Albert Smits, and centres Viggo Bjorck and Tynan Lawrence. With how reports and interviews have shaped out so far, the most likely pick seems to be Keaton Verhoeff. So to me, it makes sense that he is the prospect we start with in this mini-series.
Getting to know Keaton Verhoeff
Player Info
| Position | Shoots | Height | Weight | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Defence | Right | 6’4″ | 216lbs | Canada |
Draft Year Production
| League | Team | GP | G | A | P | P/GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCAA | University of North Dakota | 36 | 6 | 14 | 20 | 0.56 |
The towering 6’4″ defenceman first turned heads in 2024–25 with the Victoria Royals. Verhoeff’s incredible two-way game and booming shot as a rookie made an impression on fans and scouts. While typically Verhoeff would head back to the Royals and likely be one of the top defencemen in the WHL, the new NCAA agreement led him to a different route. Verhoeff received the opportunity to join the University of North Dakota, the only one to get an NCAA chance in a strong year of CHL defencemen.
Although he had his fair share of struggles, Verhoeff was able to carve out 20 points in 36 games, which, with all things considered, is pretty good for a freshman, draft-eligible defenceman. With likeable tools and a pretty high upside, Verhoeff held a similar high draft position to the one he had at the start of the season.
The appeal of Verhoeff
The defence
So what makes Verhoeff such a coveted prospect? The first thing most will point to is his size, which is quite fair. The huge frame of 6’4″, 216lbs gives Verhoeff a little bit of a threatening presence at both ends of the ice. In the defensive end, Verhoeff is very effective at staying on top of his opponents and applying constant pressure on them, which can lead them to believe they have less space and make a panic play. When he gets into battles along the boards, his frame definitely helps him outmuscle guys and walk out of the scrums with the puck.
His reach is better than most, thanks to being 6’4″, and it certainly helps him be a great stick checker. He’s very good at timing attacks on the puck on the oncoming puck carrier’s stick and immediately gaining possession, switching the tide of the attack. If there’s not a good opportunity to try a poke, Verhoeff is also great at driving opponents to the outside of the ice. Whether he is physically getting into their space or using his stick to take away lanes, Verhoeff is strong at limiting offence to the outside.
The offence
While I think I like Verhoeff’s defensive game a little bit more, he’s not a slouch when it comes to the offensive side of the puck. As mentioned earlier, Verhoeff has a booming shot. When controlling at the blueline, Verhoeff can rip a powerful slapshot that has a pretty solid success rate of beating goalies. Even away from that booming shot, Verhoeff has shown that he has puck-moving capabilities.
Although it was a bit simpler in my viewings, Verhoeff is quite a strong passer. He can make activating passes at the blueline or find teammates in higher danger areas deeper into the zone. His passes off the board are strong as well, does a good job at getting the puck to his teammates in the slots or hashmarks. Verhoeff also isn’t afraid to activate off the blueline. The edges are pretty solid for a guy as big as him, and they make him a good puck protector. He can jump off the line, ward off the pressure with his protection, and then use his hands or distribute a great pass to generate some offence.
The projection
When it comes to Verhoeff, the ceiling is quite high. There is a reason some people were placing him above Gavin McKenna at points. If Verhoeff completely hits, you are looking at an elite defenceman who is probably top 20 at the position league-wide. A more realistic projection is likely a top-pair quality player who puts up around 45 points a year while being great defensively.
The possible cons of drafting Verhoeff
The pros definitely outweigh the cons in Verhoeff, but it’s not like he is free of any issues. My biggest concern with Verhoeff has to be the footspeed. He’s not a player who needs outstanding speed, the ability to go from zone to zone in the blink of an eye; however, adding some more quickness would definitely help him out. He can get caught flat-footed on backchecks if he is a bit too far up in the offensive play, or if the pouncing player has speed. It’s passable at the college level, but if he’s facing a Connor McDavid or Nathan MacKinnon, that’s where I could get a little scared.
I also think his foot speed limits his offensive capabilities. Since he’s not really able to jump into the rush with the complete promise of getting back into his defensive position, Verhoeff tends to stay behind the offensive play and hop on any opportunities that come his way. It helps to keep a strong ground defensively, but the limit of the offence can be a bit frustrating at times.
I know people have concerns with the IQ, but I don’t think I see it as much. He makes the same mistakes every other young defenceman makes, but nothing else really, in my opinion.
Should the Flames draft Keaton Verhoeff?
I would be quite happy if the Flames walked out of the first round with Verhoeff at 6th overall. With how strong he is in the defensive zone at his age, while also having good skill in the offensive end, it is super intriguing. I trust his talents way more than I am concerned about the drawbacks of his game. There’s a solid possibility with Verhoeff that you look back at this draft in a few years and he’s the best defenceman in a strong class of defencemen.
Even with Zayne Parekh and Hunter Brzustewicz looking promising on the right side, Keaton Verhoeff would still be a great prospect for the Flames to draft. Verhoeff complements Parekh incredibly well and gives you a fantastic 1–2 punch for the future. I think the Flames testing Parekh on the left side at the end of the year was a precursor to a possible selection like Verhoeff. Regardless if they’re on the same pair or not, they play the game differently, and you can enhance both while having both.