The Calgary Flames hold the 6th overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. Let’s take a look at some of the recent post-lottery mock drafts across the internet to see who hockey writers have the Flames selecting.
Carson Carels
Carson Carels is the most frequent player mocked to the Flames. Almost all of the writers who have Carels going to the Flames noted how he is a two-way left-shot defenseman who can complement the offensively dynamic right-shot Zayne Parekh. Although the Flames’ number one priority right now is to add some offensive talent at the forward position, Craig Button of TSN claimed that Carels is just too good to pass up on, and there are other ways to add offence up front. Additionally, Scott Wheeler of The Athletic admitted that his brain immediately went to centers such as Tynan Lawrence and Viggo Bjorck. But, he still ended up selecting Carels for the Flames, considering he gives them something that their prospect pool needs.
Caleb Malhotra
While the majority of mock drafts have Caleb Malhotra going in the top five, Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News has him sliding to the Flames at 6th overall. This would be a huge break for the Flames, since Malhotra is considered by most to be the top centerman of this draft class. For a Flames organization that has spent years searching for a pillar down the middle to build around, landing Malhotra would be a home run. He brings the high-end hockey IQ and faceoff reliability that the team currently lacks, and he offers a potential long-term solution to Calgary’s most glaring positional hole.
Keaton Verhoeff
If both Carels and Malhotra are gone by pick #6, Keaton Verhoeff becomes a viable option for the Flames. Given that they just drafted Parekh two years ago, selecting another right-shot defenseman might seem redundant. But Corey Pronman of The Athletic argued that Calgary’s prospect pool needs everything right now except for a power-play quarterback. This means that the Flames should just go with the best player available, especially considering Verhoeff’s playstyle is quite different from Parekh’s, despite playing the same position.
Viggo Bjorck
Another option for the Flames if Carels and Malhotra go in the top five is Bjorck. Mike Morreale of NHL.com asserted that the Flames need to add more offense considering their leading scorer in the 2025-26 season only had 45 points. Expanding on that offensive need, James Johnson of The Win Column views Bjorck as the ultimate high-skill wild card of this draft class. While he does have a smaller stature, Johnson notes that Bjorck’s size is absolutely not a deterrent, considering Bjorck has already proven that he is able to hold his own in games against current NHL players at the IIHF World Championship.
Conclusion
Whether the Calgary Flames opt for positional need or simply take the best player available, sitting at 6th overall gives them an excellent opportunity to inject a high-end, foundational piece into their rebuild. If the board breaks perfectly and a premium asset like Carels or Malhotra slides to them, the decision becomes incredibly easy. But even if the top five picks don’t go their way, compelling alternatives like Verhoeff or Bjorck ensure that the Flames will walk away from the draft floor with a premier talent. There might be some disparity across the internet’s mock drafts right now, but one thing is certain: June’s draft will be a monumental turning point for the future of this franchise.