4. Matvei Gridin
Back in the 2024 NHL Draft, all the attention was on Calgary's No. 9 overall pick, but late in that round with the draft pick acquired from Vancouver in the Elias Lindholm deal, they landed another potential piece of their future. That would be Matvei Gridin, who showed his dominance in just one QMJHL season, and a year later, the Russian winger found himself winning a job in Calgary coming out of the pre-season.
While he would do a stint in the AHL with the Wranglers, Gridin made his way back to the NHL in the second half, and from there, he solidified himself as a top-line winger for this rebuilding Flames team. In the final 25 games of the Flames season, Gridin posted 4 goals and 16 points, and given the combination he formed with Morgan Frost and Matt Coronato, the Flames may have at least one great line to send out to the ice next season.
3. 2027 First-Round Draft Pick (Flames pick)
This year, the Flames have two draft picks in the first round, and next year, they've got another two, with the Golden Knights pick being acquired in the Rasmus Andersson trade. Given that Vegas are off to the Western Conference Finals, that pick could come anywhere in the draft, but the one that Calgary can't move is their own, as the team are likely to send out a very young, inexperienced lineup once again in 2026/27.
With the new arena coming a year later, the team would absolutely love to send out another top-five selection, especially from the 2027 draft class, which is considered one of the best in recent memory for the centre position. Thus far, Craig Conroy has shown that he's committed to building things the right way, so there's absolutely no way the team would give up this pick, and while the lure of Ivar Stenberg may be strong, it makes sense for the team to exercise patience here.
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