4. Ethan Wyttenbach
Of all the players on this list, Ethan Wyttenbach was the lowest drafted, but in the year since he landed in Calgary, he's done nothing but dominate and consistently be the best player on the ice, regardless of his competition. After leading the NCAA in scoring in 2025/26, Wyttenbach was the USA's best performing player at the Summer Showcase, and given how he's handled every challenge thus far, he's shaping up as a potential star of the future.
There's still question marks over his size at 5-foot-10, but after dominating at every level when healthy, the Flames see him as not only a good NHLer of the future, but a potential top-six player.
After seeing Matvei Gridin's progress a year ago, the Flames are looking to add to their young core of forwards alongside Matt Coronato, so when Wyttenbach's season at Quinnipiac is up, don't be shocked to see him immediately rushed into the Flames lineup.
3. Carson Carels
Carson Carels was the highest Flames draft pick since Matthew Tkachuk way back in 2016, with the team thrilled to land the physical, two-way defenseman at No. 6 overall in the 2026 NHL Draft. While he didn't dominate the Summer Showcase like some hoped, his season with the Prince George Cougars was incredible, as he posted 20 goals and 73 points across 58 games, and now, the team believe the blue line of the future is complete alongside Nemec, Parekh, Brzustewicz and Bahl.
Carels is set to join another top Flames prospect at North Dakota ahead of the 2026/27 season, and if he can play well there, the expectation is that he'll be one-and-done, with his arrival at the end of the regular season expected.
He may not be ready for full-time NHL work as much as the others that are expected to arrive at the end of the year, and while that may mean he begins 2027/28 in the AHL, he's going to get his opportunity later this season, and if he finds that spark with Parekh, the top-four of the future is complete.
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