4. Berkly Catton - F Spokane Chiefs
Berkly Catton is a player held in high regard by the Calgary Flames fanbase, although there is a fear that the Flames could pass on him due to his size and the front office's obsession with that, even in today's game. Standing at 5-foot-11 and weighing just 170 pounds, there's a chance that Catton struggles to adapt at the next level, but when talking about high ceiling's, there's few higher in this entire draft.
In 2023-24, Catton went off in the WHL, netting an amazing 54 goals and 116 points in just 68 games played, and with that type of production at the Flames biggest position of need, Catton might be the pick at No. 9. In most mock drafts, Catton is available when the Flames take the podium, so unless they find a defenseman they've fallen in love with still available, this may be the pick on June 29.
3. Sam Dickinson - D London Knights
There may be other players with more upside in this draft than Sam Dickinson, but what the London Knights prospect has is a balanced skill set that makes him easy to slot in as a future top-four defenseman at the NHL level. Despite being 6-foot-3 and over 200 pounds, the Ontario native doesn't sacrifice skill with his size, but unlike other players, he doesn't sacrifice a presence on the defensive end to inflate his offensive numbers.
Whether it's setting his teammates up, driving the offense to the net himself or playing a calm, patient game in his own zone, Dickinson has all the makings of a balanced top pairing defenseman, something the Flames desperately need. Calgary have added some high level prospects on their blue line, but none that stand out in the national spotlight, so if they can somehow land Dickinson in the draft, it makes their future that much brighter.
2. Zeev Buium - D University of Denver
When talking about star quality defenseman in the upcoming NHL Draft, no one stands out quite as much as Zeev Buium, who did absolutely nothing but make history during his time at the University of Denver. Buium became just the third freshman blue liner in NCAA history to tally 50 points in a single season, and he fits the exact mold that the Flames are looking for; a game-breaking offensive minded defenseman that can become a star at the level of a Cale Makar.
That's not to say Buium will turn into that caliber of player, but if the Flames want to make their selection based on potential, there's no one better in this upcoming draft on the blue line than Buium. It's highly unlikely that the Flames will be lucky enough to draft Buium, but if he slides all the way to them, they would be absolutely thrilled, as he could be the final piece of the promising blue line that Craig Conroy has built in his short time as Calgary's GM.
1. Cayden Lindstrom - C Medicine Hat Tigers
The Calgary Flames are looking for a star to lead this team into the future, and simply put, there's no one that has more tools to be that player than Medicine Hat Tigers forward Cayden Lindstrom. He has the size, the talent and the drive to be an absolute star, with the only downside being his injury history.
When healthy though, Lindstrom can score with talent, physicality and determination, and is projected to go anywhere from No. 3 overall onwards. If the Flames want to nail this draft however, this is the player that they will be praying will fall to them at No. 9, and if they can add Lindstrom, he would hopefully be the key forward that they've been missing since the departure of Matthew Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau.