No. 51 overall: Original Selection - F Markus Ruck
While The Athletic have Markus Ruck listed as a centre, he also plays the wing, as he did following the return of Andrew Basha to Medicine Hat, with most believing that his best position in the NHL will be on the wing. This move is an obvious one with Ruck available for the writers, as they would pair the twins together at the NHL level on the back of an incredible campaign for Markus, who ended the year with 21 goals and 108 points in 67 games played.
However, there are some severe limitations, and given that he's just 6-foot-0, he needs to improve the skating to pair with his natural playmaking abilities if he's to be a consistent NHLer. Still, it's hard to ignore 108 points in the WHL, and with his brother already a Flame in this scenario, it's likely a no-brainer.
Revised No. 51 Selection: C Egor Shilov
If Liam is picked and Markus remains available at 51, the Flames would have a genuine decision to make, but in our revised draft, they instead take a chance on boom-or-bust prospect Egor Shilov. The 6-foot-1 Russian centre followed the process of Flames young star Matvei Gridin and tore up the QMJHL following a promising year in the USHL, with the Victoriaville Tigres star tallying 32 goals and 82 points in just 63 games played.
There are major question marks over Shilov too, as the skating and effort came under scrutiny throughout the season, but with an elite level skillset that ranks among the best in the draft, he could be just what Calgary need. As mentioned in many scouting reports, whoever picks Shilov will need to be very, very patient with his development, and given how committed Conroy is to the Flames rebuild, giving Shilov multiple years at Penn State may be just what he needs to become a star in Calgary.
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