The Calgary Flames may have landed one of the draft’s best value picks when they took Ethan Wyttenbach in the fifth round, 144th overall, in the 2025 NHL Draft. And if the early returns are any indication, the 19-year-old winger is making plenty of noise.
Wyttenbach has been on a tear this summer, finishing as the scoring leader at the World Junior Summer Showcase with 12 points in six games. For a prospect selected that late, that kind of production turns heads fast.
It also fits the kind of season he just put together at Quinnipiac University. In his freshman year, the Roslyn, NY native led all of NCAA hockey in scoring with 59 points in 40 games, piling up 25 goals and 34 assists along the way.
That run put him among the top American players heading toward the World Junior Championship in Alberta, where he is close to a sure bet to make his U20 debut. If that happens, he’ll get a chance to do it in front of local crowds that may someday be watching him in a Flames sweater.
Even with that kind of production, Wyttenbach was only a Hobey Baker finalist, as the award went to Max Plante. Plante posted 25 goals and 52 points and was a fourth-round pick by the Detroit Red Wings, another reminder that impact players can slip past the first round.
None of that guarantees how Wyttenbach’s NHL path will play out. But right now, the signs are pointing in the right direction for Calgary’s fifth-rounder.
In Other News...
Flames May Have Found A Seventh Round Defenseman Worth Watching
Axel Hurtig has already given the Flames a reason to keep an eye on a part of the draft board that usually gets little attention. The Swedish defenseman was taken in the seventh round of the 2023 NHL Draft, but his path has included junior time with Rgle BK and the Calgary Hitmen, where he wore the captains letter in his overage season and drew notice for steady play at the defensive end.
Hurtigs profile is built less on flash than on reliability, with a physical style that has made him stand out in a role that often asks for simple, dependable hockey. He also earned a spot on Swedens World Juniors roster, another sign that his game is tracking in the right direction and giving Calgary something worth monitoring as he continues to develop. [Read more 🡒]
Calgarys Jack Eichel Near-Miss Still Stings For Flames Fans
The Flames are still left to wonder what might have been from the Jack Eichel sweepstakes in 2021, when Buffalos dispute with its captain over his neck surgery choice pushed the Sabres into trade discussions. Calgary was right in the thick of it as the market tightened, and for a while the idea of Eichel landing here felt like more than just a remote possibility.
Instead, the talks unraveled, with reported disagreement over the players Buffalo wanted in return, including Matthew Tkachuk and Andrew Mangiapane. It remains one of those franchise what-ifs that hangs around because the fit was obvious enough to imagine and consequential enough to sting, even if the full ripple effect across the NHL can only be guessed at now. [Read more 🡒]
Morgan Frost Could Still Shape The Flames Next Forward Move
Morgan Frost remains one of the more interesting names connected to the Flames forward group, and his situation still has the look of a deal that could ripple beyond Calgary. San Jose has spent the offseason adding pieces and is still exploring ways to improve, which is why Frost has surfaced as a possible fit for a club looking for more skill in its middle-six mix. His profile makes sense on paper for a team trying to add some offense without chasing a full-scale overhaul.
For Calgary, the real question is less about whether Frost can draw interest and more about what kind of market eventually forms around him. He has been available since April, but the Flames have yet to find a taker, and his contract and no-trade protection only add another layer to the negotiation. Even if nothing is imminent, Frost still feels like one of those names that could shape the next move whenever Calgary decides to make its next swing up front. [Read more 🡒]