A few weeks ago, the Calgary Flames learned the fate of their lottery pick, as it was revealed the team would select at No. 9 overall, giving them the opportunity to potentially draft a star of the future. Now, the team have learned the fate of their other first-round pick following the Vancouver Canucks loss in the second-round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
With the team acquiring the first-round pick in the trade of Elias Lindholm, it has now been confirmed that Calgary will pick No. 9 and 28 overall in the 2024 NHL Draft, giving them two shots to land a star of the future in the first-round.
Vancouver is eliminated by the Oilers.
— Jean-Francois C. (@MtlfanSakic) May 21, 2024
Pick 1 to 28 is now determined!
Here’s the current order.
Pick 32 and 31 are pretty straightforward. The only thing left is Pick 29 and 30, which is seeded by the numbers of points earned this season. pic.twitter.com/6R5ePjCWEq
Plenty has been talked about who the Flames will have the opportunity to select early in the draft, but with the No. 28 selection, there’s expected to be some very talented players as well, and while their name may not be quite as recognizable, we’ve seen teams hit home runs late in the first round of drafts too.
Now, the team have to trust in their scouting department to find a player that not only fits the requirements of this team but the character as well, and if they can finally start looking past size and focusing on skill, this team may find themselves with two talented players to build around for the future. The other option is for the Flames to use this pick in a deal, packaged with another player or a future draft pick to move back up into the top-15, but whatever happens, this team clearly has a plan under Craig Conroy, and this pick could be a crucial part of making that happen in the off-season.