Coming into the 2026 NHL Draft, the Calgary Flames have pick No. 6, one in the late 20's, early 30's depending on Vegas' result in the post-season, as well as two early second-round draft picks and two late in the round.
While the team are all but locked in to pick at No. 6, with a trade up unlikely, that doesn't mean that Craig Conroy can't start wheeling and dealing elsewhere in the first-round. There's a chance the team could look to jump back into the first-round from the second, but today, we'll focus on the Vegas Golden Knights selection, which will be somewhere from pick 28-31 in the first-round.
It's unclear just how far the team would need to move up to land the following five players, but with the Flames trying to land elite level talent, the following are five players they could look to move up in the draft to select.
Authors note: this is purely a list based on trading up from the Vegas pick, and won't involve the team trading up from No. 6 to target a player like Ivar Stenberg, Carson Carels, Caleb Malhotra etc.)
5. Nikita Klepov
Heading into the 2026 NHL Draft, the Calgary Flames are full of wingers both on the NHL roster and in the system, and while Flames fans may not be thrilled with another, Klepov has the talent to be a top-six player in the NHL for a long, long time to come. At 6-foot-0, 180 pounds, Klepov has the size, but already in his junior career, he's shown that he can put together elite production behind his high end skills and dynamic playmaking.
It's not just the playmaking though, as Klepov has a lethal one-timer, one that allowed him to succeed at the offensive end this past season, as he tallied 37 goals and 97 points for the Saginaw Spirit in the Ontario Hockey League. On top of all that, he has a relentless motor and is sometimes described as very scrappy, so while the skating and the defensive engagement no doubt need improvement, if the team see Klepov still on the board as the early-mid 20's roll around, it's a move that an aggressive Craig Conroy could make.
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