Calgary Flames Mock Draft Wrap-up ahead of the 2024 NHL Draft
The 2024 NHL Draft is just a matter of days away, and with so much uncertainty at the top of the draft (beyond Macklin Celebrini at No. 1 overall), the Calgary Flames will be waiting patiently until the No. 1 overall selection rolls around. The Flames will be looking to land a key piece of their future, whether it be a game-changing defenseman or a 1C moving forward, and with eight teams selecting before them, they may have their decision made.
With the draft almost upon us, we've now taken a look at 15 reputable mock drafts from the world of hockey media and have compiled a list of the players most likely to land with the Calgary Flames and tallied the number of times these players were drafted.
(Credit to the following sites for their mock drafts; Sports Grid, TSN, The Athletic, Elite Prospects, ESPN, MSN, FloHockey, Cap Friendly, Lines.com, The Hockey Writers, Clutch Points, Bleacher Report, Dobber Prospects, The Score, Daily Faceoff.)
Beckett Sennecke - RW Oshawa Generals (1 vote)
This is a name that Flames fans may not have seen linked with the team at No. 9 overall, but according to The Hockey Writers, his draft stock is rising, and with over a week left until the event, it may continue to rise even further. Standing at 6-foot-2, the 18-year old put up two impressive seasons with the Oshawa Generals in the OHL, tallying 20 goals and 55 points in his first year, following it up with major improvents to 27 goals and 68 points this past season.
For the most part, Sennecke is expected to go between the 12th and 20th overall pick, with little talk beyond this prediction that he could crack the top-10. The NHL Draft is expected to be unpredictable however, and given the Flames famed love of size in their draft picks, don't be shocked to see them pass on a smaller player for the big bodied Sennecke, even if he plays on the wing, a position the Flames have plenty of bodies at.
Konsta Helenius - C SM Liiga (1 vote)
Early in the pre-draft process, Konsta Helenius was drawing plenty of attention as a potential Flames draft pick, and while that has died down significantly, he's still the type of player the team need moving forward. On paper, the production doesn't scream lottery pick, given that he produced just 14 goals and 36 points in 51 games played this past season, but he did so in the top league in Finland against much more experienced names.
The 18-year old doesn't have the advantage of size, as he stands at just 5-foot-11, but knows how to use every bit of that frame, increasing his productivity from 3 goals to 14 and his assists from 8 to 22 in just two seasons playing for Jukurit Mikkell. At this point, Helenius is a likely target if the Flames are to trade back into the lottery, but don't be surprised if they like his experience against older players and his positional advantage when they are on the clock at No. 9 overall.
Zeev Buium - D University of Denver (1 vote)
In terms of dream targets for the Flames, there are few better than Zeev Buium, who just put up a historic season with the University of Denver where he became just the third freshman in NCAA history to tally 50 points in a season. Unlike Helenius and Sennecke, the reason why Buium received just one vote is that he was taken before the No. 9 overall pick in 13 of 14 other drafts, showing that a puck moving, fast skating defenseman will be highly valued in the upcoming draft.
The Flames have some fantastic defenseman coming through the system in Etienne Morin, Jeremie Poirier and Hunter Brzustewicz, but none of those project to be the gamechanging, top pairing blue liner, so if Buium is indeed available at No. 9 overall, the Flames would certainly love to draft him.
Anton Silayev - D KHL (2 votes)
Anton Silayev is a prospect that has been overlooked by many heading into the draft, with some experts predicting he may be drafted in the top-three while others have predicted he may even fall past the Flames. Standing at 6-foot-7, Silayev has all the size that the Flames love in a defenseman, with the front office potentially looking to replace the size of Nikita Zadorov at 18-years of age, but with his potential, he could be a star in the NHL.
On top of that, the Flames have move towards landing players from Europe, as the majority of names they landed at the trade deadline came from Russia, and if Silayev intends to head to North America in the next few years, he could be a great pick for the Flames. Ultimately, his name value may not be as exciting as other prospects, but if their other targets fall off the board, he would be an incredible pickup for Calgary that could anchor their defense for years to come.
Berkly Catton - C Spokane Chiefs (2 votes)
While most eyes in and outside of Calgary are on Tij Iginla heading into the 2024 NHL Draft, one name that is continuously available is Berkly Catton, who is the type of skilled forward that can excel in the NHL today. Unfortunately for fans of Catton to the Flames, he's a little on the shorter side, and given the Flames continued mentality on size in the draft (see; 2023 NHL Draft), they may ultimately pass on him.
What they would get in Catton however is someone that can score at an incredible rate, as the 18-year old Saskatoon native tallied an incredible 54 goals and 116 points in just 68 games played in the 2023-24 WHL season. From all accounts, it appears that Catton will be available when the Flames head to the podium at No. 9 overall, and unless one of the biggest names falls, this would be a home run pick for Calgary.
Cayden Lindstrom - C Medicine Hat Tigers (2 votes)
While Cayden Lindstrom could go as high as No. 4 overall in this draft, some people see him slipping significantly, and if that is the case, they should run to the podium to select the Medicine Hat Tigers forward. Lindstrom combines fantastic size, skill and determination, and given that he's from Western Canada, he would no doubt have no issues playing in Calgary.
We already know that the top three won't be falling to the Flames, but anyone beyond that could go between No. 4 and No. 11 overall, and if Lindstrom falls, it will likely be due to his spotty injury history. However, the BC native has everything you look for in a star center, and if the mock drafts of these two names comes true, Calgary fans would be ecstatic with the 2024 NHL Draft.
Tig Iginla - C/W Kelowna Rockets (6 votes)
This comes as absolutely no surprise to anyone, but despite rising significantly over the draft process, the majority of mock drafts (all complete following the 2024 NHL Draft Lottery) still have the Flames taking the son of the franchise's greatest ever player. Just hearing that may make some believe it's a nepotistic pick, but that couldn't be further from the truth, as Iginla is indeed the perfect pick for the future of the Calgary Flames.
This past year Iginla took a major step forward, netting an impressive 47 goals, and without turning 18-years of age yet, he's got a very bright future ahead. On top of that, he has the versatility to play on the wing, but projects as a center moving forward, and if he continues growing, he could be the big bodied 1C the Flames have been searching for.