The 2026 NHL off-season has been a quiet one for the Calgary Flames, but with a few solid trades and another fantastic draft from General Manager Craig Conroy, the rebuild for the Flames is right on track.
While all eyes were on Carson Carels at the draft, the team had another first-round pick for the third straight year, and in the process they landed a potential middle-six centre of the future in Jack Hextall out of the USHL. Like other Flames prospects, he was committed to the NCAA this year, as he was set to join fellow Flames prospect Cullen Potter with Michigan State and arguably the most stacked roster in college hockey.
On the surface that's a good thing, but given his lack of pedigree in comparison to other forwards, the belief was that he would struggle to crack the top-six, especially after their roster for the season was announced.
Allow us to reintroduce ourselves!
— Michigan State Hockey (@MSU_Hockey) July 24, 2026
Introducing your 2026-27 Michigan State Spartan hockey team! pic.twitter.com/o3zPbTD3zM
However, a big change has now occurred, with the Anaheim Ducks signing first-round pick Nikita Klepov to his Entry Level Deal, meaning that he will no longer be attending Michigan State.
SIGNED: Our 2026 first round pick (15th overall) Nikita Klepov has signed a three-year entry-level contract.https://t.co/yfSvOCYK91
— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) July 25, 2026
This is great news for Hextall, who is now considered a lock for the Spartans top-six alongside Potter, Cayden Lindstrom, Ethan Belchetz and Tommy Bleyl, and with so much talent around him, fans are expecting a breakout campaign from him.
In the USHL last season, Hextall was productive with 20 goals and 58 points in 59 games played, but it was his hockey IQ, his confidence and his defensive skills all over the ice that made him an attractive draft target for the Flames. Next season, the hope is that he can start producing offensively the way a top NHL prospect would, and with so much future NHL talent around him, Hextall is perfectly poised to take a leap in 2026/27 with extra playing time now.
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