8. Carter Yakemchuk - D Calgary Hitmen
Carter Yakemchuk is one. of the most polarizing prospects in the upcoming draft, but even with his combination of size and skill as a blue liner, not everyone is sold on his ability to make the jump to the next level. In his final year with the home town Hitmen, Yakemchuk netted 30 goals through pure skill and determination, and with his size, that can't be overlooked on a team needing young stars that can break a game wide open.
With recent reports that Calgary have up to seven defenseman on their radar heading into the draft, it's easy to expect that the Flames are open to the Alberta boy with their No. 9 overall pick, and while it wouldn't be a bad move, it wouldn't exactly be the most exciting either. Depending on how the draft board falls, this may be the obvious pick for the Flames though, even if most fans would prefer to target Yakemchuk in a situation where the team trades back into the lottery around the 12-15 mark.
7. Konsta Helenius - C Jukurit Mikkeli
Konsta Helenius is the wild card for the Calgary Flames heading into this draft, as many believe the team could even take him over some of the bigger names in the draft, with his size and experience overseas a major positive. The production in Finland wasn't quite as good as other players in the draft, but he still managed an impressive 36 points in 51 games, with his talent expected to translate to the NHL quicker than others.
While there's high expectations for Helenius at the next level, his ceiling isn't necessarily as a franchise changing player, and for teams like New Jersey, Pittsburgh and others that are built to be solid right away, he would fit in much quicker. If the Flames do target Henelius however, the belief is there that he can be a solid player for a team over a number of years, even if he isn't necessarily going to be a star in the NHL.