The Calgary Flames have the No. 6 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, and while we can likely rule out two players (McKenna, Stenberg), there's still plenty of talent heading into an event that could define the future of the Flames for years to come.
One player that seems destined to end up in Calgary is Prince George Cougars blue liner Carson Carels, who has a good relationship with young Flames defenseman Zayne Parekh. On top of that, he's one of the more physically gifted players in this draft, and with the talent to match, he's often been linked to the Flames.
While there's many different ways this draft can play out, today, we'll take a look at one of the most high profile players linked to Calgary, who just so happens to play at arguably the teams biggest position of need.
Pre Draft Production
Year | League | Team | Games Played | Goals | Assists | Points | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2023/24 | WHL | Prince George Cougars | 7 | 0 | 3 | 3 | +3 |
2024/25 | WHL | Prince George Cougars | 60 | 6 | 29 | 35 | +22 |
2025/26 | WHL | Prince George Cougars | 58 | 20 | 53 | 73 | +23 |
2026 | WJC | Canada | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | +3 |
After showing promise in both 2023 and 2024, Carels exploded this past season, more than tripling his goal total while posting a career high of 73 points across 58 games played. Unsurprisingly, he took it to another level across 10 playoff games, with his 10 points helping lead Prince George to a series victory before falling in the second round.
On top of that, he was able to play for Team Canada at the World Juniors, and while his game time was limited, the experience in big moments will help as he looks to make his way to the National Hockey League.
Strengths
The biggest strength for Carels is his impressive size at 6-foot-2, 198 pounds and his ability to use that frame to physically shut down opposing defenders. While he doesn't lay hits like other big defenders, he uses that frame to manipulate opponents and get in passing lanes well, and while the defensive game in space needs help, especially with how over aggressive he can be in pursuing opposing players, that can be helped at the NHL level.
Carels' biggest strength in the offensive zone is the booming shot that saw him score a combined 21 goals in the WHL this season, and with more experience around him getting him into his favourite positions, that should only develop at the highest level.
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