June keeps treating Craig Conroy well.
The Flames general manager has now overseen three straight offseasons that have added serious talent to Calgary’s pipeline, and the latest one may be the most impressive yet. Between the 2026 NHL Draft and a blockbuster trade with the New Jersey Devils, the Flames added another layer to a defensive group that already looked loaded.
That push got even bigger this past week when Calgary sent out a package built around two future first-round picks to land Simon Nemec, the No. 2 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. Nemec arrives with plenty of polish and plenty of offensive skill, and at 22 he already has 155 NHL games with the Devils. He isn’t the biggest or most naturally shutdown defender, but he gives the Flames another right-shot blue-liner with real top-pairing upside.
And that’s the part that makes this whole thing stand out: Calgary has stacked so many quality right-handed defenders that Zayne Parekh may open next season on Zach Whitecloud’s left side, the spot where he found his best NHL success during the 2025-26 stretch drive.
Even after landing Nemec, Conroy still wasn’t finished. Calgary used the No. 6 pick in this year’s draft on Carson Carels, and that selection might end up being the one that really puts the whole blue line over the top.
Carels is a rural Manitoba farm boy with a reputation for skating well, playing with a heavy edge, and hammering home goals with a big shot. He put up 20 goals for the Prince George Cougars in 2025-26, tying winger Brock Souch for second on the team with 73 points in 58 games.
He also earned a spot with Team Canada at the 2026 World Juniors, a major accomplishment for any 17-year-old defenseman. The Flames have not had a prospect like him in a long time, and over their first 45 years in Calgary, they never drafted a defender higher than No. 9 overall.
Calgary’s most famous No. 9 made the pick official Friday.
Carels now joins a group that already includes Parekh and Nemec at the top end, along with other young defenders who fit the mold in different ways. Kevin Bahl and Yan Kuznetsov are part of the mix, while Mace’o Phillips, Axel Hurtig, Hunter Brzustewicz and Henry Mews add more size, structure and depth. The Flames also didn’t spend another draft pick on a defenseman until their final selection the next day, because they didn’t need to.
That’s how strong the pipeline looks now. The Sharks may still have the league’s best overall prospect pool, but Calgary’s blue line collection stacks up with anybody’s.
Montreal has Lane Hutson, whom the Flames “absolutely should’ve picked in 2022,” but the Canadiens’ depth doesn’t match what Calgary has built. Chicago, Utah and Anaheim aren’t in the same neighborhood.
Carels is also more than just another hard-nosed defender in a system full of them. Conroy called him “a character that could become a captain one day of the Calgary Flames.” That kind of praise matters, especially in a draft where Calgary clearly leaned into a theme of making opponents miserable to play against.
The Flames added Jack Hextall and Chase Harrington in the 30s, then traded up for Tobias Trejbal, the top goaltender in the class, at No. 42.
They also brought in Alan Shaikhlislamov, Egor Barabanov and Simon Katolicky in the middle rounds, all three sizable forwards who were generally ranked close to where Calgary took them or even higher. Late pick Bode Laylin looks like a worthwhile project on the blue line, and Joe Iginla adds another name worth watching.
The goaltending depth is starting to look just as strong. With Trejbal joining Dustin Wolf, Devin Cooley, Kirill Zarubin and Arsenii Sergeev, the Flames have one of the better groups of netminders in the league.
The one big missing piece is still the center ice star. Conroy’s toughest job now is finding that elusive No. 1 center prospect, something the Flames haven’t had in a long time. But Calgary has already built some support there with Cole Reschny, Cullen Potter, Theo Stockselius and Hextall down the middle, plus Matvei Gridin, Matt Coronato, Ethan Wyttenbach, Andrew Basha and Sam Honzek on the wings.
For now, though, the story is the blue line. Parekh, Nemec and Carels give the Flames a foundation that looks unusually deep and unusually dangerous. If that group develops the way Calgary hopes, the organization may have already done the hardest part of the rebuild.
In Other News...
Craig Conroy Just Raised A Tough Ryan Lomberg Question
Ryan Lombergs time in Calgary may have reached a familiar kind of crossroads for a role player: appreciated, useful and now suddenly at the mercy of roster math. Craig Conroy said the Flames value what Lomberg brought over his two seasons in Calgary, where he served as a high-energy veteran presence and a steadying voice in the room, but the general manager also made it clear the club is looking hard at the shape of its forward group as it plans ahead.
Lomberg is set to hit free agency on July 1, and that timeline only sharpens the decision facing Calgary. For a team trying to sort out its future roster construction, even a well-liked depth piece can become a difficult fit, especially when there are already plenty of bodies up front and every spot has to be justified for what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Tod Button Just Gave Flames Fans A Telling Draft Class Reveal
Tod Button gave Flames fans a fuller picture of how Calgarys 2026 draft board came together, walking through the qualities that drew the club to each of its selections. The Flames director of amateur scouting discussed the skills and playing styles of Carson Carels, Jack Hextall, Chase Harrington, Tobias Trejbal, Alan Shaikhlislamov and Joe Iginla, offering the kind of detail that helps turn a list of names into a clearer organizational plan.
The comments also hinted at the range of needs Calgary tried to address, from upside up front to traits that fit the teams broader development model. Buttons breakdown pointed to different ways these prospects could grow into contributors, and in a few cases, he left enough intrigue around the players long-term ceilings that Flames followers may find themselves revisiting this class well before it ever reaches the NHL. [Read more 🡒]
Blake Coleman Trade Talks Hit A Frustrating Wall For Flames
Blake Coleman has remained a useful name for teams looking to add a dependable two-way forward, but the trade market around him has gone quiet. Calgary would like to keep exploring options as it continues its roster rebuild, and Colemans recent work in heavy defensive minutes and on the penalty kill still gives him appeal to contenders that value veteran stability.
The problem is finding a fit that works on paper and under the cap, with several potential suitors lacking the flexibility to take on his $4.9 million hit. Coleman also carries only one year left on the six-year deal he signed in 2021, which only sharpens the clock on a move if the Flames can unlock a broader list of destinations. [Read more 🡒]