4. RHD Simon Nemec
The Calgary Flames expected to add some talent this off-season, but no one saw them giving up significant assets for New Jersey Devils former No. 2 overall pick Simon Nemec. On paper, two first-round picks and a second may seem like an overpay, but at just 22-years-old, Nemec has a very bright future ahead, and in Calgary, he'll be given all the powerplay time that he needs to succeed.
Last season, Nemec posted 11 goals and 26 points across 68 games played for the Devils, and with the increased minutes, the Flames are hoping he can live up to the hype that made him the No. 2 pick back in 2021. Given his size at 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, he's the perfect modern day blue liner in the NHL, and if he takes the leap that those in New Jersey hoped for, this could be the best blue line in the NHL one day.
3. LHD Carson Carels
If this list was based on two-way potential, Carson Carels would easily come in at No. 1 overall, as the latest top-10 pick in the history of the franchise is shaping up to be a two-way monster in the National Hockey League. At 6-foot-2, Carels has the size and the speed to be a genuine threat at both ends of the ice, and given how his leadership was praised constantly at the draft, the team could be looking at their next captain.
We saw Zayne Parekh put up insane numbers in the OHL, and while Carels' weren't as impressive (58GP, 20G, 73P), given the threat he is on the defensive end, he's going to be the long-term top pairing LHD in Calgary. If he has a good year at North Dakota alongside Reschny, he could be atop this list next season, and while you never want to heap too much pressure on a young player, Carels seems like someone that's ready to live up to the enormous hype around him.
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