18. G Kirill Zarubin
Despite having Dustin Wolf, Kirill Zarubin is one of three goaltenders on this list, showing that the team believe in building the position long-term, and one day, it could pay off in a huge way. In Zarubin, the team have a player that dominated the MHL in Russia for the past two years, posting save percentages of .930 and .935 alongside GAA's of 2.34 and 2.17 in 69 games played.
At 6-foot-3, he's the perfect combination of size, skill and speed for the Flames prospect pool, and this coming season, he's taking the leap to North America, and will get significant time at the AHL level with the Wranglers. Time will tell if he beats out Sergeev or another player on our list later on for significant NHL time, but right now, things are looking highly promising for the former third-round draft pick.
17. RW Alan Shaikhlislamov
Arguably the Flames biggest steal at the 2026 NHL Draft, Alan Shaikhlislamov was a prospect that not many fans knew of, but among NHL circles, he was an incredibly popular player that several teams were circling. The 17-year-old Russian winger was a very young birthday and won't be 18 until September, and after dominating the MHL this past season, posting 18 goals and 35 points in 31 games played, it's easy to see why the Flames were so excited by him.
Already standing at 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, Shaikhlislamov can be very physical too, but at his core, he's one of the most natural goal scorers from the entire 2026 draft class. Given his age, the Flames are going to let him develop in Russia for at least three more years, and whenever he does make his way to North America, he's going to win fans very, very quickly.
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