Five players in the Flames’ range at ninth overall – The Win Column

The NHL draft is officially one month away, and the Calgary Flames hold two picks in the first round for the first time since 2013. With their first pick, they’ll select ninth overall, which represents their highest selection since 2016.

With such a wide-open field this year when it comes to players available after Macklin Celebrini, the Flames are set to have a tough decision at ninth overall. With that said, the closer we get to the draft, the players who are likely to be around at ninth overall become more clear. Below are five players who could be available in the Flames’ range when they step to the podium.

C – Tij Iginla

The most obvious name on the list is, of course, Tij Iginla. Jarome’s son Tij has slowly crept up draft boards all year to the point where he is now being ranked right around where the Flames pick. There have been some hotly contested debates across the fandom on picking Tij, as some argue it’s a reach simply because of his last name, while others argue he’s one of the draft’s best players and worthy of the pick.

The reality likely lands somewhere in the middle, and both can be true. There’s absolutely no denying the gigantic impact drafting another Iginla would have on the franchise. The Flames are currently at their lowest point since Iginla left over 10 years ago, and drafting his son as the first major piece in a rebuild would do wonders for fan morale and excitement. This is a franchise that needs something to cheer for, and Tij would instantly become a fan favourite.

It’s just about his name, though, as Iginla is one of the most well-rounded forwards in the draft and offers an intriguing skill set. You don’t post 47 goals in your D+0 WHL season by mistake, and Iginla has legitimate top-line upside.

Iginla is almost certainly going to be available at ninth as well unless a team like the Montreal Canadiens reaches at fifth overall, which seems unlikely. At the end of the day, this seems like the most likely selection, and Craig Conroy would be enemy number one in Calgary if he passed on Jarome’s son.

D – Zayne Parekh

The draft’s most dynamic defender; it’s still up for debate where Zayne Parekh lands in the draft. Some have him locked in as a top-five pick, while others have him slipping into the Flames’ range. Given just how many high-end defenders there are in the draft this year, there’s almost certainly going to be one that slips out of the top eight and into the Flames’ lap. If Parekh is that guy, the Flames will no doubt be interested.

Parekh has posted historic numbers in the OHL this season and looks like the best offensive defenceman in the draft in years. The Flames need help at every position, but it’s fair to say their biggest need is a true blue chipper on the backend. It’s never a smart idea to draft for position over best player available, but if Parekh is there at nine, he’s both the best player available and fits a need for the Flames.

Given his offensive pedigree, there’s a good chance he’ll be gone before the ninth overall pick, but if he does slip, there are not many arguments against picking up the draft’s best offensive defenceman at ninth overall.

C – Berkly Catton

It seems like every draft these days has an undersized but highly skilled forward who slips down draft rankings and ends up being a steal. Zach Benson was 2023’s version, and Berkly Catton looks well on his way to becoming 2024’s version. The 5-foot-10, 170 lb centre tore up the WHL this season with 116 points, leading the CHL in scoring by a 2024 draft-eligible skater. Despite that, he’s currently being ranked in the nine to 15 range. Considering his production and skillset, he offers some tremendous value to any team picking in the Flames range.

Catton is the exact type of dynamic, undersized forward that the Flames should be targeting as they begin their rebuild. Speed and skills wins in today’s NHL, and the Flames are lacking both in their prospect pool right now. Picking up Catton would be a great first step to reshaping the Flames’ future roster to better fit the modern NHL game.

If the Flames are looking to use their pick on a forward, it would be foolish not to consider Catton as the top choice at nine, potentially even over Iginla. The Flames have lacked any true dynamic players in their prospect system since they drafted Matthew Tkachuk in 2016, and Catton would immediately become the most talented and dynamic player in the organization.

C – Konsta Helenius

Konsta Helenius has quietly flown under the radar this season as an incredibly dependable, mature, and well-rounded centre playing over in Finland. He may not have garnered as much attention as some of the more flashy North American forwards in this range, such as Catton and Iginla, but his resume is equally, if not even more impressive. This recent season, he posted the fourth-highest total by a D+0 forward in SM Liiga history, trailing only Aleksander Barkov, Mikael Granlund, and Kaapo Kakko.

Helenius may not offer elite upside as a superstar talent, but what he does bring to the table is a high floor and good odds of becoming an impact player in the NHL one day. For a team like the Flames, who are just kicking off a rebuild, making a safe pick at nine certainly isn’t a bad thing.

Helenius seems like a less spicy but incredibly safe and smart pick at ninth overall. As mentioned above, he may not have the flash that some other forwards in his range do, but he offers such a well-rounded and smart game for a player his age that he has NHL player written all over him. This seems like a pick that some sections of the fan base would groan at, but a few years down the line, it could look like one of the best picks of the first round.

D – Zeev Buium

My favourite player for the Flames in this draft is Zeev Buium. He offers just about everything you could want in a defence prospect. He’s arguably the smartest player in the draft, can defend, chip in on offence, and oozes confidence from the backend. He’s also coming off one of the best D+0 seasons in NCAA history, playing as a key player for the NCAA champion University of Denver.

Buium very well may be the best defenceman in the draft when it’s all said and done. He’s currently being ranked near the Flames’ range and could easily slip there. Given their need for a true future number one defenceman, Buium is about as perfect a fit as possible for the organization at ninth overall. There are concerns around drafting an American-born player in the NCAA, but Buium is worth the risk.

If he is available, he should be an easy selection for the Flames. He fits a need, possesses top-five talent, and would be the best defence prospect the organization has had since Dion Phaneuf. The odds of Buium slipping to nine are the lowest of the five names here, but if he does, Conroy should run up to the stage.

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