8. Jakob Pelletier (2019, No. 26 overall)
Jakob Pelletier was an interesting pick for the Flames back in 2019, and almost immediately after arriving in the NHL during the 2022/23 campaign, he became a fan favourite. Unfortunately for Pelletier, he struggled to get playing time regardless of if the coach was Darryl Sutter or Ryan Huska, and eventually, he was moved on in the deal that saw Calgary land both Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee from Philadelphia.
During his time with the Flames, Pelletier played in just 61 games, and in that time he posted 8 goals and 21 points, and while the potential was there, the Flames new front office just didn't see him as a priority. Since departing, Pelts went on to win the AHL MVP Award in 2025/26 after putting up 77 points in 63 games played for the Syracuse Crunch, and while it was an understandable pick at the time, ultimately, he just didn't pan out in Calgary.
Grade: C
7. Connor Zary (2020, No. 24 overall)
When Connor Zary was picked at No. 24 back in 2020, very few in the national media batted an eye, but when he arrived in Calgary, he made his mark on the team almost immediately with 14 goals and 34 points across 63 games back in 2023/24. That made him a clear player of the future in Calgary, and for a team that needs centre help, the expectation was that he could take several steps forward in the years to come.
Unfortunately, Zary has been hampered by injury, and with Ryan Huska hesitant to play him significant minutes down the middle, thus far we've not seen him make many improvements, with just 52 points scored over the past two seasons. Right now, Zary could be a good player of the future in Calgary, but given the way things have gone since his rookie campaign, it's likely that he'll be dealt, and if that's the case, it's hard to see this as anything but a pick of wasted potential from the front office.
Grade: C+
Add us as a preferred source on Google