The Calgary Flames will take the best player available with their sixth-overall pick in Friday's NHL Draft, and this year, it is very likely that the best player available will be a defenceman. Tod Button, the Flames' director of amateur scouting, noted that a group of elite defencemen is expected to dominate the early part of the first round.
Top defensive prospects in the 2026 draft
Most rankings have Chase Reid, Carson Carels, Keaton Verhoeff, Alberts Smits and Daxon Rudolph going early in the first round. All are defencemen, and there is a strong chance at least one will be available for the Flames at No. 6. Button emphasized the variety among these prospects: some are offensive, some are two-way, and others can play heavy minutes in all situations.
Button explained, "There's a group of defencemen and then there's another group of defencemen, and I don't even want to say they're a tier down, maybe it's a quarter-tier down. I think it's going to be those top forwards who are going to go for sure and then it's going to be a lot of defencemen."
Flames' blueline prospect depth
The Flames have already built a strong pool of defensive prospects, including Zayne Parekh, Hunter Brzustewicz and Henry Mews, all right-shot defencemen. This could make left-shot options like Smits and Carels more appealing, but Button would not reveal the team's internal rankings. The Flames' need for scoring on the wing might also influence their decision, but the depth of defensive talent makes a blueliner the most probable pick.
"We always talk about different styles of players and you look at the defencemen, and they're different styles," Button said. "We think they're going to fit in different areas in the NHL, but we think they're all top-end defencemen, so you have to figure out which one you like better, which one you need more."
Mock draft projections
Mock drafts across the league project forward Gavin McKenna going first overall and Ivar Stenberg second, followed by a run on defencemen. Centre Caleb Malhotra is expected to be taken in the top five, likely by the Vancouver Canucks. This leaves a wealth of defensive talent for the Flames to choose from at No. 6.
