Last week, I went over the Calgary Flames’ top five best draft picks in franchise history. This week, we’re flipping the script and looking at the five worst draft picks. While we fans have been spoiled over the past few drafts with Craig Conroy in charge, there have been some doozies.

The placement criteria are based on where they were taken, meaning someone could have a better career, but because they were drafted so much higher, they are higher on this list. It is also about their time with the Flames. Their careers outside are taken into account, however, to a lesser extent. Heading to Europe, especially early on, will hurt a player’s ranking.

Before I get into the top five, we first take a look at an honourable mention.

Honourable Mention–Matt Pelech

Matt Pelech was drafted 26th overall in the 2005 NHL Draft by the Flames. Pelech is the older brother of Adam Pelech and nephew of Mike Gillis. Listed as both a defenceman and a right winger, Pelech was never anything special, even during junior. Instead, it was his 6’4″, 236 lbs frame that intrigued the Flames.

That wouldn’t do him any favours, as he only played five games with the Flames in the 2008–09 season. Pelech only registered three points in those games. The sizeable defenceman spent the next two seasons with the Abbotsford Heat in the AHL before heading to the San Jose Sharks. He played eight games with the Sharks, spending most of his time in the AHL, with a brief stint in the ECHL. He spent time in multiple European leagues before retiring in 2020 as captain of the Belfast Giants in the EIHL.

If you think that sounds bad, you just wait.

#5 Kris Chucko

Beginning the top five is Kris Chucko of Burnaby, BC. The 39-year-old was a 24th overall pick in 2004. In the 2008–09 season, Chucko played his only two NHL games, both with the Flames. Chucko was never able to record an NHL point, playing the rest of his career in the AHL. It included stints with the Abbotsford Heat, Quad City Flames, and the Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights.

Chucko retired after the 2010–11 season after suffering a serious concussion in October that season. Once the season ended, he retired from the game, a mere seven years after being drafted. Nowadays, Chucko resides in Minneapolis, Minnesota, working at Old National Bank as a Corporate Banking Executive.

#4 Brent Krahn

Taking a goalie in the top ten normally doesn’t work out too well. The same can be said for when the Flames took Brent Krahn sixth overall in the 2000 NHL Draft. Listed at 6’5″, 214 lbs, he fit the bill of exactly what you wanted protecting your net. The only problem is that Krahn struggled. The Flames called him up on two occasions; however, he never played a game with them.

He only ever played one NHL game with the Dallas Stars in the 2008–09 season. In that game, Krahn allowed three goals off of six shots, a goals-against-average of nine, and a .667 save percentage. Krahn spent his career split between the AHL and ECHL. He retired after the 2010–11 season, putting an end to a long career, just not with the Flames.

#3 Tim Erixon

Someone who is currently playing is 34-year-old Tim Erixon. The 23rd overall pick in the 2009 NHL Draft, Erixon did not live up to his first-round status. He never played a game in the Flames organization, playing in Sweden before moving to North America, and then for the New York Rangers in the 2011–12 season. A first-round pick wasted on someone who never played in your organization immediately goes to the top three.

Erixon was in and out of the NHL and the AHL. His stints in the NHL were brief, and he spent the majority of his time in the AHL. Last playing in the NHL in the 2014–15 season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, he moved to Sweden in the 2019–20 season.

#2 Rico Fata

Heading back to the retired players, we have Rico Fata, a sixth overall pick in 1998. He played a total of 27 games with the Calgary Flames, with some time in the AHL with the Saint John Flames. He only had one point with the Flames, which came during his first stint in the 1989–90 season. After three seasons with the organization, he was sent to the New York Rangers.

He had another five seasons in North America playing for the Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Atlanta Thrashers, and Washington Capitals organizations. He moved to Germany for a season and a half before going to Switzerland for another five seasons. In his final season in 2013–14, he played in Liiga in Finland before hanging up his skates.

#1 Daniel Tkaczuk

My pick for the worst draft pick in Flames history is the sixth overall pick in 1997, Daniel Tkaczuk. His first full season within the organization was in the AHL in Saint John. The next season, he played his only 19 NHL games, all with the Flames. He put up 11 points—four goals, seven assists—but was sent back down and never brought back up. He played two more seasons in North America with different franchises before heading to Europe.

Tkaczuk spent one year in Finland before heading to Milan, playing in Italy. He spent three seasons in Germany before attempting a comeback in North America. In the 2009–10 season, he joined the Charlotte Checkers in the ECHL. He was swiftly sent on loan to three different teams in the AHL: the Syracuse Crunch, the Rochester Americans, and the Hartford Wolf Pack. The following season, he played in both Austria and England before calling it quits on his playing career.

Character issues and a concussion both played roles in Tkaczuk’s failure in the NHL. A player who had potential was out of the league as quickly as he had entered it.

If you think anyone was left off the list, let us know in the comments!

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