The 2026 NHL Draft has come and gone, and in the duo of Carson Carels and Jack Hextall, the Calgary Flames added two potential keys to the future of their organization in the first round.
While Hextall is a good addition, the Flames are clearly still searching for their top centre of the future to add to a young core group that also includes Cole Reschny, Cullen Potter and Ethan Wyttenbach. Thankfully for the Flames, the 2027 NHL Draft is set to be one of the most stacked centre groups in recent NHL history, and with the defensive core already locked in, this could be a monumental event in the history of the organization.
There's still just under 12 months until the 2027 NHL Draft, but for Flames fans looking to take in hockey outside of what will be a rough campaign for the Flames, these are five prospects to keep a very, very close eye on.
5. Petr Tomek, C - HC Energie Karlovy Vary
Beyond the top four players on our list, there are several that Flames fans should be keeping an eye on, but after immense production at just 16-years-old, Czechia forward Petr Tomek may be the best of the rest. However, he's much smaller than the rest of these prospects at 5-foot-10, 165 pounds, but he more than makes up for all of that in the skill department.
This past season, Tomek notched 13 goals and 20 points across 51 games at the highest level in Czechia for HC Energie Karlovy Vary while also putting up 6 points in 7 games at the U18 World Juniors. In 2026/27, he's set for more action at the top level in Czechia and will get a shot at the U20 World Juniors, and if he develops physically over the next 12 months, he could be a great pickup if the Flames fall out of the top 3-4 picks in 2027, although they'd be taking a risk on his size.
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