Coming into the 2025/26 NHL season, many Calgary Flames fans were hoping this could be a season that ends with a top lottery pick, with the likes of Gavin McKenna, Ivar Stenberg and others waiting at the top of the 2026 NHL Draft.
At one point, the Flames sat firmly in 31st in the overall NHL standings, giving them the second best odds at the No. 1 overall pick, but since the trade deadline, the team have surged, posting a record of 9-8-2 as they have now risen to 29th in the standings.
That has many fans frustrated, and with two games to go on the season, things could get even worse for this Flames team and their prospects ahead of the draft if they keep on winning, with games against the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday and Los Angeles Kings on Thursday.
So, how does game No. 81 effect the Flames lottery odds?
Flames draft position-clinching scenarios going into Tuesday’s game vs. Colorado:
— Darren Haynes (@DarrenWHaynes) April 14, 2026
- Regulation loss guarantees a top-6 pick
- OT/shootout loss guarantees a top-7 pick
- Win means: 1. Picking as low as 8th still possible. 2. The one pick CGY is guaranteed to not end up with is 3rd
Darren Haynes breaks it down above, as a regulation loss will guarantee the Flames their first top-six overall pick since Matthew Tkachuk back in 2016, while picking up a single point will guarantee the team a top-seven pick. If the team were to pick up both points against the President's Trophy winners, then picking as low as No. 8 remains possible, and while losing and tanking has some adverse effects, it's clear that losses in the final two games of the season will give the Flames their best pick in a decade.
Ultimately, a pick is only as good as the scouting department and the pick the Flames make whether that's No. 1 or No. 6, but given how good General Manager Craig Conroy has done in recent years, with a top pick in 2026, the Flames franchise could be changed forever.
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