Is it Friday yet?
That’s the feeling around the Saddledome and for hockey fans in all sorts of other offices too, now that we’re just days away from the 2025 NHL Draft. The prospect-picking starts with Friday’s televised first round.
If the Flames are your favourite team, here’s everything you need to know to be ready for what is always a busy week.
What is the format for the 2025 NHL Draft?
Craig Conroy & Co. will have to wait for handshakes and photo ops with the newest additions to the Flames’ pipeline.
The 2025 NHL Draft is ‘decentralized,’ similar to the model used by the NFL and NBA. While the top prospects will be gathered at Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles, the teams will submit the picks virtually from their respective home cities.
Conroy, director of amateur scouting Tod Button and the rest of the Flames’ braintrust will set up draft headquarters at the Saddledome.
Friday’s first round will be broadcast on Sportsnet at 5 p.m. MT. Rounds 2-7 run Saturday, starting at 10 a.m. MT.
What will be the biggest Flames’ storyline in the lead-up to the draft?
This is an easy one.
There are always some major trades during draft week and Flames defence workhorse Rasmus Andersson is among the big names who could potentially be on the move.
Andersson, 28, is about to enter the final year of his contract in Calgary. The two sides have had preliminary conversations about the possibility of an extension, but the insiders seem convinced a trade is the most likely outcome.
As Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman wrote in his latest 32 Thoughts: “The feeling across the league is the talented defenceman is ready for something new. I believe the Flames are willing, but only when they get what they want. There’s significant interest, which helps.”
Conroy can wait this out. He has already proven his patience as a general manager and he shouldn’t feel pressured to make a move until closer to the trade deadline.
But if rival executives are willing to offer up their first-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, or if they will pay a premium to have the righty rearguard on their roster all season, it’s certainly possible this could be Andersson’s final week with the Flames.
He has logged 536 career appearances with the club.
What picks do the Flames currently hold?
The Flames own seven selections, including a pair of plucks in Friday’s first round. The full list:
First round — 18th overall and 32nd overall
Second round — 54th overall
Third round — 80th overall
Fourth round — No pick
Fifth round — 144th overall
Sixth round — 176th overall
Seventh round — 208th overall
Why won’t the Flames be selecting at 16th overall?
Back in August 2022, when Brad Treliving still was the general manager at the Saddledome, the Flames swapped Sean Monahan and a conditional first-round pick to the Montreal Canadiens in a salary-dump deal.
The conditions on that draft choice would have made a great sleep story, but it ultimately boiled down to this — if the Flames didn’t score a Top-10 selection in 2025, they’d surrender their own swing to the Habs.
After the Calgary-based crew barely missed the playoffs this spring, tying an unlucky record for most points by a team that failed to earn a post-season invite, they slotted in at No. 16.
Flames fans will now keep fingers crossed that the Canadiens won’t scoop their top target in that slot.
Who could be on Calgary’s radar in the opening round?
Looking long-term, the Flames’ biggest need is at the centre position.
Next on the wishlist would be right-shot wingers and lefty defencemen.
The top of this particular draft class is heavy on pivot prospects, so it feels like a strong chance that Conroy & Co. will cash one or even both of their opening-round picks on future faceoff men.
Among the potential targets at No. 18 are Seattle Thunderbirds captain Braeden Cootes, U.S. National Team Development leading scorer Cole McKinney and Cole Reschny, who put up 25 points in 11 playoff games with the Victoria Royals and has committed to the University of North Dakota.
Another name to watch is Ben Kindel, who already is a fan fave at the Saddledome after filling the net for the Calgary Hitmen. While not everyone is convinced that Kindel projects as a pivot in the NHL, he can always slide over the right wing.
The list of centres who might appeal at No. 32 includes Milton Gastrin, William Horcoff or Ivan Ryabkin, who has oodles of skill but is considered by many to be a high-risk pick.
RelatedWhat can we learn from Craig Conroy’s history at the draft?
‘Best player available’ is the most over-used line in pre-draft interviews, but an analysis of Conroy’s previous picks will prove that he won’t reach for a specific position.
After being promoted in the spring of 2023, he selected left winger Sam Honzek with his first holler as Calgary’s general manager. Honzek has so far appeared in five NHL games.
The Flames had a pair of first-rounders a year ago and the early returns are oh-so-encouraging. They selected Zayne Parekh at ninth overall and he just put up the highest single-season point total by an OHL defenceman in more than three decades. Right-winger Matvei Gridin, their choice at No. 28, was named the QMJHL’s rookie of the year after averaging 1.41 points per game.
Conroy also has a history of draft-week trades. In each of the past two summers, he has swapped out a veteran who was one year away from unrestricted free agency — Tyler Toffoli in 2023 and Andrew Mangiapane in 2024.