Best (Highly Unlikely) Potential Outcome, Face of the Franchise: Caleb Malhotra/Ivar Stenberg/Gavin McKenna
When the Toronto Maple Leafs and San Jose Sharks came out winners at the 2026 NHL Draft lottery, the Calgary Flames fell all the way to No. 6 after their disappointing season, and almost immediately, they were ruled out of the Gavin McKenna/Ivar Stenberg sweepstakes.
While there's been speculation that Caleb Malhotra or Ivar Stenberg could fall, there's a less than 1% chance either make their way to No. 6, and in that situation, it would only happen if not just one team in front of the Flames makes an absolute shocking move, but several do the same.
Ultimately, this was a pipe dream for the Flames coming into the season, and while there was hope the Flames could have some lottery luck, it's going to once again go against them in 2026 as several other teams may land immediate impact players over Calgary.
Best (Shocking) Outcome, Depending on the Price: Trade up to Land Ivar Stenberg
All of our ideas thus far have come from the Flames staying put at No. 6 overall, and while they won't be able to get to No. 1 to land McKenna, there's a chance that Conroy gets aggressive to move up to either No. 2 or 4 overall to target Ivar Stenberg. McKenna is the concensus No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming draft, but for some, the Swedish star is just as good, if not better as a prospect, and if there's a price that makes sense for the Flames, it's a deal they could pull the trigger on.
In his first full campaign at the SHL level in 2025/26, Stenberg starred, posting 11 goals and 33 points in 43 games played, but it was his performances for Sweden that drew even more attention. At the recent World Championships, Stenberg was a point-per-game player for Sweden, following up on his World Juniors tournament that saw him post 4 goals and 10 points in just 7 games played.
Sure, there's questions over his height at 5-foot-11, but with all the confidence and skill in the world, he's the perfect player for this Flames rebuild, and if the Flames pay the price to get him, he's an elite prospect that would immediately help the future of the organization.
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