Calgary Flames Round Out Their 2023 Draft Class

The Calgary Flames came into the 2023 NHL Draft needing to make some big moves, and while Noah Hanifin and Elias Lindholm still remain on the team due to a lack of a blockbuster trade, the team no doubt got better with their draft class. The team went safe in round one and followed that up with two swings on upside in rounds two and three, and after seven rounds, they appear to be walking away with some very promising prospects.

In round four, the team opted to go back to the Vancouver Giants, this time taking forward Jaden Lipinski, and standing at 6-foot-3, 198 pounds, it’s clear that the Flames had a motivation this year to add some bigger prospects to the organization.

In 66 games last year, Lipinski tallied 19 goals and 32 assists for 51 points, and with the ability to play on both the penalty kill and power play, it’s clear the team loved his depth and versatility, and while they’ll need to be patient with his development, he could be a key piece for the future.

Next up with arguably the name of the draft was No. 176 overall, Yegor Yegorov, a 17-year old goaltender out of Russia, and while he was a relatively unknown prospect and unranked by many outlets, he has great size standing at 6-foot-3, 185 pounds, and with Dustin Wolf expected to make the jump to the NHL level next season, he’s a good depth piece for the future.

In 15 games for MHK Dynamo Moskova, Yegorov put up solid numbers with a 9-4-0 record, two shutouts and a .915 save percentage, he’s not someone expected to develop quickly, and while many fans will be surprised by the goalie pick, it’s a swing on high upside for Calgary.

Last but not least was pick No. 208, with the Flames once again going back to Sweden with the pick of another big body in defenceman Axel Hurtig who stands at an imposing 6-foot-3, 203 pounds, showing the Flames are committed to finding big body prospects.

The 18-year old is perhaps the most raw of all the prospects Calgary selected this year, as he produced just 2 goals and 6 assists in 34 games for Rögle BK in the J20 competition, but late in the draft, they will be hoping that his imposing presence can be enough to find him a spot in the NHL one day.

So that wraps up the NHL Draft for another year, what do you think Flames fans? Did Calgary get enough talent over seven rounds? Are you surprised that they didn’t make a bigger move? What do we think of the future for the Flames? As always, let us know all your thoughts in the comments below.