The Calgary Flames prospect pool was once one of the worst in the entire National Hockey League, but under General Manager Craig Conroy, he's not only improved them, but taken them to one of the best in the league instead.
Obviously, much of the focus is on the potential stars likes Cole Reschny, Carson Carels, Cullen Potter and Ethan Wyttenbach, all of whom are meant to arrive in the NHL at some point over the next 12 months.
However, the depth goes so far beyond that, and in the 2026 NHL Draft, the Flames took big chances on some very high end prospects, many of whom are showing potential to be future NHLers.
Bode Laylin Makes His NCAA Commitment Official
One such prospect is Bode Laylin, a 5-foot-11 defenseman out of Minnesota whom the Flames drafted with the No. 164 overall pick in the sixth round of this years draft, opting to take a chance on his offensive upside. The 18-year-old has spent the last three seasons with the Tri-City Storm in the USHL, and in 2025/26, he took a true step forward, tallying 11 goals and 38 points in 55 games, showing true potential.
This season, Laylin is committed to play with the Everett Silvertips in the Western Hockey League, getting the very, very lofty job of being one defenseman that can replace Landon Dupont, who helped lead the team to the WHL Championship a year ago. However, the year after, the talented prospect will officially be headed to the Big Ten, as he has committed to the Minnesota Golden Gophers, the same school that his father Cory played for between 1988 and 1992.
🚨🚨 CO〽️〽️ITTED 🚨🚨
— The Future of Pride On Ice (@FutureGophers) September 3, 2026
BODE LAYLIN IS A GOPHER!
2026 NHL Draft pick by the @NHLFlames is the son of Assistant & Legacy Gopher, Cory!
The Defenseman will play this season for @WHLsilvertips after posting 38 in 55 games last season for @TriCityStorm
Congrats Bode & Family! RAH! pic.twitter.com/C7RoCzdqiR
Does Laylin Have NHL Potential With the Calgary Flames?
Obviously, any player drafted in the sixth round of the NHL Draft is a long shot to make it to the NHL, but given the potential of Ethan Wyttenbach (No. 144 overall in 2025) and the production of Dustin Wolf (No. 214 overall) along with others in years gone by, there's always hope that a late-round pick can make that leap.
In Laylin, the team don't have an explosive player with ridiculous speed or overwhelming physicality, but they do have a very responsible prospect that can make the safe play and keep things in front of him as a defenseman, while having the ability to drive play and throw his body around when necessary.
That doesn't lead to as much excitement as a player like Zayne Parekh or Carson Carels, but if he can develop defensively in the WHL and NCAA over the next two seasons, don't be shocked if we see him get genuine game time as a third-pairing defenseman at the professional level in the years to come.
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