Jack Hextall
Out of everyone the Flames picked late in the first across these 10 mock drafts, none have the floor of Jack Hextall, with the 6-foot-1 right-shot centre being considered a sure thing to at least play significant minutes in the NHL. The ceiling may not be as high, and that's why he's considered a late first-round pick, but with the Flames looking for as many NHLers as they can find in the draft, the fit may be there.
For the USHL's Youngstown Phantoms, Hextall took his game to new heights in 2025/26, posting 20 goals and 58 points in 59 games played, but it's the two-way potential as a player that excites GM's around the league. Hextall is another that's tough to predict, as some have him as a pick in the early 20's while others have him going early in the second, but if he's there for the Flames, especially if they go D with their first pick, it may be a worthwhile risk.
Brooks Rogowski
When the NHL Draft rolls around every year, there are players with immense size that can sometimes be overlooked as a result, but sometimes they can be highly overrated, with GM's falling in love with how that size will play at the next level. Players like that are littered throughout the first-round in 2026, and another is Brooks Rogowski, who stands at 6-foot-7 and weighs 235 pounds while also filling a key need for Calgary as a right-shot centre.
The production across two years in the OHL is very promising however, as he had 42 points in 46 games for the Oshawa Generals in 2025/26, and with a good shot, a responsible mentality and very good puck skills, he could be a high-end middle-six centre at the highest level. He's still seen as a very raw talent and will take some developing, but if the Flames take a player like Viggo Bjorck or Carson Carels at No. 6 overall, taking a swing on Rogowski late in the first-round would make perfect sense.
William Hakansson
On the right side of the Flames defense, the team have offensively minded players like Zayne Parekh, Hunter Brzustewicz and prospect Henry Mews, but on the left, the team clearly have a much different type. That's evident with the duo of Kevin Bahl and Yan Kuznetsov, and with Abram Wiebe joining the mix, the team want a physical player that can pair up with the skill of the right side.
That makes Swedish blue liner William Hakansson an interesting pick, as the 6-foot-4 lefty has the physical tools to match up at any level already, but offensively, there are certainly limitations. This past season, he had just two goals across 44 games played, so while he is limited and may never become a genuine top-four defenseman in the NHL, the physical tools make him a potential low-risk, high-reward pick.
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