The 2026 NHL Draft could have been historic for the Calgary Flames if they had landed the No. 1 overall pick, and with it, the opportunity to select star Penn State forward Gavin McKenna. However, this draft isn’t just one player, as there are plenty of intriguing prospects that could help shape the future of the organization under General Manager Craig Conroy and Head Coach Ryan Huska.
At No. 6 overall, the Flames will have the chance to draft one of McKenna, Ivar Stenberg, Chase Reid, Caleb Malhotra, Viggo Bjorck, Carson Carels or Keaton Verhoeff, and with an already improving prospect pool, adding another blue chip prospect like that would be a home run move for the franchise.
However, there’s also an opportunity for the front office to be proactive, and whether that means trading up from No. 6 overall or looking to get back into the lottery, there’s chances for them to make a major splash. Whatever happens, there’s moves to be made, and below, we’ll look at five teams the Flames could make a trade with.
5. St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues made some solid moves at the 2026 trade deadline, and with speculation running rampant over the likes of Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou, this summer should be no dfiferent for them. Obviously, the Flames aren’t going to be after either of those players, but in a potential trade up situation that could give St. Louis more assets to move either player, their picks at No. 11 and 15 are incredibly enticing for the Flames.
The Blues seem to be in a situation where they may want some quality young pieces, and with the Flames having players like Morgan Frost or Connor Zary along with a plethora of draft capital to part ways with, this is a deal that could come together on draft night.
To make it make sense, the Flames will need a prospect that they’ve fallen in love with to move up from 30/31 to either 11 or 15, but if the team see another potential star, they will be happy to part ways with assets to get to either pick with the Blues.
